Stay
by Lastsyns
Summary: After an attack leaves the Time Lord in a near death state, his friends try to save his body while his mind revisits parts of his life with the help of a loved one.
1. Chapter 1

The Doctor came back to awareness slowly. He wasn't sure when he had closed his eyes as he couldn't tell what time it was. That concerned him because as a Time Lord he should have been able to feel the ground turning beneath him. Now it felt as if the universe had come to a halt. He couldn't hear, smell or feel anything that told him where he was. All he knew was that he was laying on a hard surface. Opening his eyes slowly, he groaned as he immediately closed them again.

"No, no, no," He groaned as he opened them once more to see that his eyes hadn't been playing tricks on him the first time. He was lying on a plain wooden floor inside a plain wooden house. The couch nearby was a soft orange color and the table in front of it matched the wood of the home. A fire was crackling in the fireplace, warming the home against the cool days. The temperature here didn't really vary from day to day despite the twin suns that the planet orbited. Though the Doctor hadn't set foot in this house since while he was attending the academy, but he still remembered it well. He pulled himself up using the table as he stared in disbelief at his childhood home.

The family crest hung on the wall behind the couch and to the left was a set of stairs that led to the bedrooms. He shared one with his older brother while his oldest siblings each had their own room. His brother use to complain of his crying at night, so he had often hid in the barn to keep from being teased. Strolling slowly to the window, he could see the barn out in the red grass lawn. The grass would be gone by the time he returned to the barn as an adult to end the time war. For now though the red grass swayed slightly in the wind as it needed to be cut. The barn stood there still. It's wooden planks matching the ones that the home was built of. He started to move to the front door to go to the barn when he heard a noise behind him.

Turning, for just a moment he saw the inside of the TARDIS. It shook as she raced on to where ever she was heading. He didn't know and the headache that accompanied the vision made him dizzy. He swayed on his feet as he hung his head into his hands. The vision faded and once more he was standing pain-free inside his home.

Remembering his original reason for turning around he once more began to head towards the noise. From the kitchen the smell of freshly baked bread greeted him as he grew close. His mother use to bake the bread in the morning for their supper at night. When he was young she would let him steal a piece while it was still hot. As he grew older though she would chastise him, telling him he would never make a good Time Lord if he didn't learn to control himself. Still she would sneak him the hot bread thick with marmalade and butter. Smiling at the memory, he headed through the doorway into the kitchen, stopping in his tracks.

Sitting at the old table that matched the rest of the wood in the house was someone he had never expected to see again. She was young and beautiful still, just like the last time he had saw her on that dark day. He stared at her opened mouthed as for the first time in his long life words failed him. She smiled up at him, melting his heart just like the first time he had held her in his arms.

"Susan," he whispered finally.

"Hello, Grandfather."


	2. Chapter 2

Martha thought she had a normal life once. She was the middle child of a dysfunctional family, training to be a doctor and dating when she had the time. That all changed when she met the Doctor. He showed her that the universe was bigger than she thought and that she was stronger than she had ever imagined. She had walked the earth for him for a year alone, scared and injured. Yet she had made it back to the Valiant in time for time to be reversed. Even working for UNIT seemed somewhat normal at first as she helped coordinate missions while training to be a medical director.

That all changed after she was given the power to destroy the Earth. Though she still loved UNIT and would never forget what they taught her and all they had done for her. Still Mickey had been persuasive at getting her to agree to become a freelance agent. It made sense after all. With Torchwood gone, and Jack on the run, there was no one left to protect Cardiff besides Gwen. Gwen though had settled down to have children and no one had seen or heard from her in months. Martha had taken the same route but refused to go into hiding. Even as her stomach swelled with her first child she sat in the building monitoring her husband.

"You're going to lose him," She informed Mickey over the walkies.

"No, I'm not. I can still see him," Mickey argued as he chased the alien down.

"Yes, you are. There is a split in the alley in about 15 yards and there is an entrance back into the sewers at the end. If he makes it there, you won't catch him." She heard Mickey swear and then the line went dead.

"Got him," Mickey told Martha a moment later.

"You did not just kill him," Martha practically yelled through the walkie.

"Relax, I used a tranq dart. I am going to load him into the SUV and be back to the warehouse shortly," Mickey responded. The line went quiet again and Martha stood up. She stretched as she looked around the small building. There was a circular desk in the middle of the main room with several computers hooked up to it. On the left side of the building, a small kitchen had been built and stocked with food. Behind her, she had her own fully stocked medical bay and autopsy room. A set of stairs leading up led to a break room and offices and another set leading down went to the prison cells as well as the rift room. The rift though was monitored from the main computer desk.

Though the computer room was the main room that they used, it was actually underground and the offices were the main building that people saw. Several people questioned the offices being built after the sewers had exploded in the same area due to a gas leak. Martha knew that it hadn't actually been a gas leak though, but a bomb that had been implanted inside of Jack. She had chosen to rebuild on this site in hopes that one day Jack would make it back to Earth, still no one had seen or heard from him in a few years. She was sure she could find a way to call him back to Earth if she really needed too. For now though, her and Mickey could protect Cardiff.

Martha looked up as the sound of the TARDIS materializing filled the small building. She was thankful that she did as was able to duck as in the next moment it flew over her head hitting the opposite wall. Martha watched as it bounced off the wall, hitting the wall to the kitchen, before finally hitting the floor. The TARDIS skidded several feet, turning as it went, before finally coming to rest near the stairs. Martha didn't even think as she jumped up and hurried towards it.

-DW-

"Oh Susan. I have missed you so much," The Doctor told her as she stood up from the chair she was sitting in. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. She hugged him back tightly, laying her head against his chest. "Where are the others?"

"Waiting for you," Susan answered as she leaned back from his embrace. The Doctor smiled and took her hand.

"Then let's not keep them waiting any longer," The Doctor said. He realized that he was finally going to be able to see his mum again and beg her forgiveness for his part in ending the Time War. His children would be on the otherside as well as Koschei. He hoped silently that his long lost friend finally had peace from the drums that had plagued him in life. He took a step towards the door, but Susan didn't move with him.

"You don't have to go to them yet," She informed him softly.

"I'm correct in thinking I am dead?" The Doctor asked her curiously. It was funny how he had run from his own death for so long, but now that it was finally here, he was alright with it. He was back with people who loved him and he no longer had to be alone.

"No. Not yet at least. If you choose to, you will join with the others or you can choose to go back. I am here to guide you until you decide," Susan told him. The Doctor nodded. He allowed Susan to lead him away from the door and towards a window. Outside of it, he could see two young boys playing in the red grass. He smiled as he recognized that it was himself and Koschei. It was back before their academy days when they were allowed free time to be children. That, of course, stopped as soon as his father came home in the evening, but during the day his mother turned her back on his childhood antics.

"Slow down Koschei," He heard himself complain. Even as children the Master was stronger than him. He liked to think that he was smarter, but he lost track of the number of times he got in trouble for following Koschei.

"How long do I have to decide?" He wondered.

"As long as you need."


	3. Chapter 3

Martha didn't stop as she pulled the key out from around her neck. She had worn the key every day since the Doctor had given it to her. She didn't wear it in hope that he would return and invite her back on board, but to remind her of the strength that she possessed. She still had the scars on her body from the year that she walked the earth and those scars would be with her the rest of her life. She didn't blame the Doctor though and if he was hurt, she would do everything in her power to save him. Opening the door to the TARDIS, she stepped inside the familiar room.

"Doctor," Martha called out. She didn't see him right away as she entered the brightly lit room. The TARDIS felt colder than normal, and she pulled her coat around her thankful she was wearing it. Walking up the ramp, she passed the console, running her hand along it. "Where is he?" She asked the TARDIS. The TARDIS hummed and blew warm air on her. She could feel the TARDIS's worry though as she followed the warm air. Walking through one door, she entered the medi-bay. Laying on the ground, slightly inside was the Doctor.

"Oh my god, Doctor," Martha cried out as she dropped to her knees beside him. The Doctor skin was pale and he had a nasty looking cut on his head that had dripped blood down his face. His mouth was closed and his chest failed to rise or fall with breath. Reaching out Martha shakily put her fingers to his neck. She breathed a sigh of relief as she found a pulse. Standing up she hurried to the nearest bed for the oxygen reader. She placed it on his finger, swearing as it showed his blood oxygen was dropping. All hope that he was in respiratory bi-pass faded.

"Hang on Doctor," Martha told him as she went for the emergency kit she kept. As she stood straight again, she saw one on the desk. Thanking the TARDIS she grabbed it, going to her knees by the Doctor again. She dug out the ambu-bag as well as the scope to insert it. Saying a silent prayer that his throat wasn't closed due to his bi-pass, she inserted the scope. She quickly followed it with the tube and hooked up the ambu-bag to it. She gave him a breath followed by another. The Doctor was in bad shape, yet he wasn't regenerating. Martha didn't have time to wonder why. Holding the bag in one hand, she continued to breathe for him as she dug out her phone. Dialing Mickey's phone she was thankful when he quickly answered it.

"Miss me that much?" Mickey wondered.

"The Doctor is here and is in bad shape. I can't move him and I need your help. How far out are you?" Martha asked him, somewhat panicked. The Doctor was dying on her watch and she couldn't risk trying to lift him onto a bed. Her pregnancy was already high risk and she wasn't going to attempt to lift the Doctor.

"I will be there in twenty minutes," Mickey informed her.

"Can you get here faster?" Martha wondered. That let Mickey know just how bad the Doctor was as Martha was always telling him he needed to slow down. Placing his foot on the gas, he pushed the SUV to go faster.

"I will see you soon," He told her hanging up so that he could concentrate on not driving. Martha kept breathing for the Doctor as she tried to examine him and find out if he was injured anywhere besides his head.

"What have you done?" Martha asked the Doctor as she gave him another breath. The Doctor laid lifeless on the ground not answering her. Not that she expected one. Especially with a tube down his throat. Picking up her phone again, she contemplated calling Jack. The two of them were barely keeping up with Torchwood on their own and his help would be welcome. He would be able to help Mickey with running the place while she cared for the Doctor. Dialing Jack's number, she listened to it ring.

-DW-

Jack sat alone at a small bar somewhere in Cardiff. He had come to the bar every day for the last few months and drank until he couldn't feel anymore. Until he couldn't feel the pain of losing his daughter and his grandson. Until he could sleep without Ianto staring up at him, asking him to remember him, like he could ever forget the Welshman that he had been allowed to love for a moment in time. There were very few things Jack let himself love after Ianto's death. Beer was one of them. If there was one thing Jack loved more than beer, it was whiskey. That didn't use to be the case though. He use to only drink to relax, now he relied on the alcohol to get him through the day.

For the first time in his long life, he had no sense of direction. He had no one who needed him and no job to go to. After it first happened, he had ran from spaceport to spaceport, drinking away his sorrows. He tired of that life though and soon returned to Cardiff alone. He didn't hook up with anyone and made sure that he only had himself to take care of. He couldn't be trusted to care for anyone else and that was fine. He was fine, he decided. Holding up his hand he tried to order another round, but the bartender declined his request. He had drank enough for the night according to the bar. According to Jack, he could never drink enough until he was dead. If only the next time he died it would last. Standing up, he stumbled out of the bar, towards the hotel room he had rented for the night. As he walked his phone rang.

Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he dropped it. Swearing he went to pick it up, launching himself at the ground. He lay there, as he finally had the phone in his hand. Looking at the screen, he saw a missed call from Martha. Deciding whatever she wanted could wait, he pulled himself back to his feet. Holding on to the wall, he once more stumbled towards his room. The phone rang again a moment later. He stopped and as carefully as possible pulled his phone out of his pocket.

"Martha?" He slurred as he opened it. "What can I do for you?"

"Jack. I am sorry to bug you, but I need you to return to Torchwood," Martha told him getting straight to the point.

"Torchwood's gone," Jack informed her. He went to hang up but before he could he heard the words he had longed to hear since that horrible day Ianto died.

"The Doctor's here." Jack took a deep breath. Ever since that day he had wanted to find the Doctor and ask him why he hadn't saved Ianto. Why he had to use his grandson to stop the 456 when he was sure the Doctor could have figured out another way.

"I'm on my way." He told her. He didn't ask any more questions as he turned to head to where Torchwood use to be. He would get his answers from the Doctor and then he was going to kill him.


	4. Chapter 4

The Doctor continued to stare out the window as he watched the two young boys play. He barely remembered the carefree days that he had with Koschei before the academy. He knew that even then he had ran, he had been born to run and nothing would ever stop him. He chased Koschei carefree as a child, ran from the Untempered Schism during his initiation into the academy and ran from the planet when he got old enough, taking his beloved Susan with him. Moving his eyes only, he looked at Susan.

"Do you regret leaving Gallifrey with me?" The Doctor asked her.

"No," She responded immediately. She moved to stand by him. He wrapped his arm around her pulling her close. "I chose to follow you, Grandfather. We never were like the rest of them were we?" The Doctor shook his head. Susan looked up at him. "Though I was happy with David. I would have stayed with you if you had let me."

"Leaving you with David was the right thing, even if you didn't understand it at the time. You are so much like me Susan and I wanted you to be able to follow your heart in a way that I never could," The Doctor told her. The scene out the window changed as the two young boys aged. They now stood in the shadows next to the barn. He had been raised by his father to follow his mind, yet when it came to Koschei his heart always ruled. He never could pinpoint the moment that he fell in love with his childhood friend, but he would always remember the day his father found out.

His father had ordered him to end the relationship and he refused. He loved Koschei and nothing his father could say would ever change that. Even when his father disowned him, forcing him out of the family home. By doing so, he had chased him directly into Koschei's arms and that was the first night they laid together. For a time the Doctor thought he was happy. He had Koschei and his stomach was swollen with the child that their love produced. He planned on settling down with Koschei outside of the academy and raising a family together. His dreams were gone just as quickly when his daughter was born early with weak hearts. Koschei turned his back on him and the Doctor suffered in his grief alone.

Outside the window, the young man now stood next to a small funeral pyre. The pyre burned brightly against the dark sky. The Doctor had been so lost in his grief, that he didn't notice when the pyre went out, or when the suns began to warm the earth. He wanted to die with her and prayed all night for the Old Gods to take him.

"You were named for her Arkyitor, the Rose of my hearts," The Doctor whispered as he continued to stare out the window.

"Father never told me," Susan informed him as she hugged her Grandfather tightly.

"Your father never knew. He came to me one day after you were loomed and asked me what I would name a daughter. I replied Arkyitor, not realizing that you had been born until he placed you in my arms." The Doctor wiped a tear away. He didn't want to think about that dark time anymore. It was during that time that he first suffered from depression and thought that he was alone. He failed his classes, had repeated detentions and was nearly kicked out of the academy. He didn't care though. His hearts had died with his precious child. Against his father's wishes, his mother had come to him. She held him as he cried and helped him to get back on his feet. It was because of her that he finished at the academy. It was also at her instance that years later he married his wife and loomed his three sons.

"Do we have to stay in this home?" The Doctor asked as he turned away from the window. As he did, three little boys in matching orange robes ran past him. He smiled as he watched them run into the kitchen, talking excitedly. The Doctor could hear them discussing their pre-academy lessons. The Doctor walked over to the doorway of the kitchen and looked in once more. At the head of the table his father sat and he sat at the other end. Things were still difficult between them, but they had both tried for awhile.

"You can go anywhere within your memories," Susan informed him. He smiled playfully at her and the room around them changed. Coral grew up from the floor and metal grating replaced the wood. The low hum of the TARDIS replaced the children's laughter as the kitchen faded. He stood next to the console, feeling the TARDIS hum through him. He could feel her just on the edge of his mind, warming him and comforting him in a way that was familiar. The TARDIS had been there longer than anyone else and kept him safe and alive. Without her, he would have been lost so many times in the past. He could have gone to any planet in the universe just by thinking about it. Without the TARDIS to take him there, it seemed impossible. He chuckled at the thought as he patted her console.

"Even now, you can't resist running," Susan chastised him softly.

"Yep." He popped the p at the end. He didn't bother trying to set the coordinates on the TARDIS. She didn't always take him where he wanted to go, but he always ended up where he was needed. Knowing it would be no different this time, he pulled the handbrake and sent her on her way.


	5. Chapter 5

As Martha sat on the ground waiting for either Mickey or Jack to arrive to help her, she started to examine the Doctor the best she could. The more information she had by the time the other's arrived, the quicker she would be able to help him once she had access to her medical supplies. Being in the medi-bay but not being able to get to the supplies was frustrating and she tried to focus on the Doctor. Not only was he not breathing on his own with a cut on his head, his pupil response was slow and sluggish. His blood pressure was dangerously low and his skin felt colder to the touch than normal.

"What have you been up to?" Martha asked him softly as she gently ran her hand down his arms. On his left arm, she could feel a bump that didn't belong. Checking the capillary refill on his finger's revealed that the circulation was compromised. Whether that was from the dislocation or from his already weak pulse, she wasn't sure but she was going to have to sort it for him as soon as possible.

"Martha," she heard Mickey called out a moment later.

"In here, be careful we are right inside the door," Martha responded. Mickey came into the room quickly. He made sure that he stepped around the Doctor as Martha was right, they were literally right inside the doorway. Even being aware of that, he still almost tripped over the Doctor's foot as he entered.

"What do you need?" Mickey asked immediately, not questioning what happened. There would be time for questions later. Right now the Doctor obviously needed help.

"I need to get him up on the bed and hooked to the ventilator so that I can treat him. I need you to go to his supply cupboard and get a neck brace and a backboard. We need to get him up on the bed as safely but as quickly as possible," Martha informed Mickey. Mickey took off towards the cupboard, returning with the requested items. While Martha hooked the neck brace around the Doctor's neck, Mickey went to one of the beds and lowered it as far as possible. Together they secured the Doctor to the board and then lifted him the short distance to the bed.

"Over here," Martha indicated to a place where the TARDIS had turned the lights up on. Mickey rolled his bed over. Martha grabbed the ventilator and hooked it to the end of the tube she had already inserted in his throat. The machine took over his breathing with a gentle hiss. "Jack is on his way and as soon as he gets here, we are going to have to take the Doctor into surgery."

"I'm not a doctor," Mickey reminded her. He had helped Martha with minor things such as stitching a wound or treating an infection. The idea of helping with a surgery though seemed beyond him.

"We don't have a choice. At the very least he has a head injury, is bleeding internally and his left arm is broke. I am going to have the TARDIS run an MRI, CT scans and x-rays so that we know what we are dealing with," Martha answered Mickey. As she spoke, she began to carefully cut the Doctor's suit off of him. He was going to be angry at her when he woke up for destroying the suit, but at least he would be alive. As she removed the suit, his pale skin revealed black and blue bruising. All of it was dark and recent. Martha had Mickey grab an IV with just saline to run into the Doctor for now. She was going to get him set up with blood and medications as well, as soon as she knew what she was dealing with.

"Is it safe to put him under anesthetic with his head injury?" Mickey wondered.

"If he was human, we would be looking at supporting him while he remained in a medically induced coma to give his brain a chance to heal. Depending on what we find out from the scans and the surgery that might be the route we take," Martha replied. She removed the Doctor's converse and set to cutting his trousers off. Mickey turned away as she removed the Doctor's pants and inserted a catheter for him. She covered the Doctor up to his waist before telling Mickey it was alright to turn back around. She had just started running the scans when Jack showed up.

"Where is he?" Jack seethed as he entered the medi-bay. Mickey moved slightly to protect the Doctor and his pregnant wife, but Martha wasn't worried. The TARDIS would not have let Jack on if he was really a danger. Though Jack was angry at the Doctor in the end his love for the man always won and this time was no exception. As Jack saw the Doctor laying on the bed, being supported by the ventilator, his anger faded.

"No, no, no, not again. I can't go through this again," Jack whispered as he looked at him. "What happened?" Jack asked as he moved closer to the bed stumbling slightly. He had come to Torchwood with the intention of killing the Doctor, but seeing him lying injured on the bed, made all those thoughts fade.

"I don't know. He arrived at the hub like this shortly before I called you. I was hoping that you could help me perform surgery on his abdomen, but you are obviously too intoxicated to walk right, let alone help him," Martha chastised Jack, not bothering to hide her disappointment.

"He needs surgery?" Jack wondered as he looked at the Doctor carefully. The Doctor's arm was obviously broken and he was covered in bruises.

"He is bleeding internally. Now I am going to ask you to leave the medi-bay so I can get started before we lose him," Martha told Jack firmly.

"I am going to take a quick shower and then I will be back to help," Jack told her turning to leave. As he did Martha couldn't help but notice that he checked to make sure that he had his gun. Normally Martha didn't approve of Jack dying, and she still hated the idea. The Doctor would also be upset that Jack died in order to help him. What he didn't know wouldn't hurt him though. Turning to look at the scans, Martha waited for Jack to return.

The scans revealed just what she suspected. Both the Doctor's radius and ulna were snapped clean through and required to be set. His stomach showed that he was in fact bleeding internally and Martha was correct to think he needed surgery. She had Mickey go and get the bags of blood while she prepared the anesthetic.

"Get scrubbed up and ready," Martha told Jack when he returned. His hair was still slightly damp and he was wearing new clothes. He showed no signs of how he died nor did he smell like alcohol anymore. He made his way over to the sink to scrub up, as he turned to look at the Doctor one more time. Even sober he could feel the little bit of hatred because the Doctor wasn't there to save Ianto or Steven. Still he couldn't just let the Time Lord die. Going to the sink, he began to wash.


	6. Chapter 6

As soon as Jack was finished scrubbing up, he returned to the Doctor's side. Martha sent Mickey to get ready next, as she hung one of the bags of blood up for the Doctor. Jack didn't focus on what she was doing as he turned his attention to the Doctor's arm. The arm was bent slightly not only at his elbow but a little way down his arm. It needed to be braced and set. Jack checked the capillary refill and came to the same conclusion that the circulation was compromised.

"I came here wanting to kill him," Jack told Martha softly. He looked up as she handed him a brace for the Doctor's arm. They weren't going to focus on setting it until after the surgery was completed, but they needed to make sure he wasn't going to lose his arm in the mean time. Martha nodded as she looked back to her task of checking the wound on the Doctor's head.

"Are you still planning on killing him?" Martha wondered.

"No," Jack replied sounding appalled. He moved the Doctor's arm carefully as he slid the brace into place.

"Are you sure? I can postpone the surgery until after you are done so I don't have to operate twice," Martha informed him. Jack glanced up at her, but she was still working on the Doctor's head.

"I am still angry at him, but I could never hurt him," Jack told her.

"I know. Believe it or not I trust you, Jack. The TARDIS obviously does to or she never would have allowed you near the Doctor." Martha placed a few butterfly bandages on the Doctor's head to hold the wound closed until she could properly suture it. When Mickey came over, Martha ran to get cleaned up. Jack finished bracing the Doctor's arm while he waited for her to return. The Doctor's arm was nowhere near properly set to allow him to heal, but the circulation to his fingers was better. Jack secured the brace.

"Alright, Jack you are going to be with me. We need to find and stop the bleeding as quickly as possible. Mickey, I need you to be near his head. The TARDIS is going to be monitoring the anesthetic, but I need you to help administer them. She will let you know what to give him and when. As you do, I also need you to monitor his vitals. Any changes or if he seems to be waking up, I need you to let me know immediately," Martha said taking charge. She gave Jack an iodine solution to clean the Doctor's abdomen down with as she spoke. Jack applied it to his stomach turning his pale skin a dark yellowish brown. As he prepared the Doctor, Martha injected into the IV a full dose of Time Lord friendly pain killers.

"Don't you think that we should try to transfer him to UNIT or at least get one of their men down here to help?" Mickey asked her. Martha looked at him.

"I know this isn't fair. I would take him to a hospital if there was time, but we don't have it. The longer we wait the more like he is to bleed out," Martha answered as she spoke, she felt a nudge from the TARDIS. Nodding she watched the monitors as the TARDIS made sure the Doctor was properly under. Martha picked up the scalpel and started the process of saving the Doctor.

The surgery took a few hours, but Martha found and stopped the bleeding in his abdomen. They sutured him up and then Martha stitched his head. She reviewed the scans and saw that his arm was also going to need to be surgically set, she just didn't feel comfortable performing the surgery at the moment. He was too weak to keep under for much longer. She checked the circulation one more time in his arm and it was better, so she left it for now. The TARDIS withdrew the anesthetics but didn't provide an antidote to allow him to wake up.

"What happens now?" Jack wondered as he hung a third bag of blood for the Doctor. Martha checked the Doctor's vitals as Mickey quickly retreated from the medi-bay to shower.

"Now we wait. We have given the Doctor the best opportunity to pull through, but it is up to him," Martha commented softly.

"You mean he could still die," Jack clarified and Martha nodded sadly.

"Despite the surgery Jack, he is in bad shape. I am going to do everything in my power to save him, but part of that will be his own will to live. I don't think that will be a problem because if anyone can pull through this it will be the Doctor," Martha told Jack. She checked the blood oxygen reader and saw that it was rising slowly. For a moment, the only sound in the medi-bay was the sound of the heart monitor beeping and the hiss of the ventilator.

"I just need him to be alright. I waited years to see him again, but I never imagined I would ever see him like this," Jack whispered.

"I know he has always been so strong that it is hard to see him knocked down. Right now though, we have to be the ones strong for him because regardless of what happens he needs us. If he does eventually wake up we are going to have to help him to get back on his feet and he will need physio on his arm," Martha commented. She moved to sit in the chair that was close to the Doctor's head, thankful to be off her feet for a moment.

"You mean when he wakes up," Jack commented as he pulled a chair close to hers and sat down as well. He needed to get cleaned up but he wasn't going to leave the Doctor's side yet.

"If," Martha iterated again, not wanting to get Jack's hopes up. Reaching out Jack took the Doctor's hand gently in his. He squeezed it wishing the Doctor would respond in kind.


	7. Chapter 7

The Doctor jumped up from the captain's seat as the TARDIS alerted him it was time to begin the landing sequence. The journey had taken longer than he had expected and he had dozed off for a moment. Yet they had finally made it to their destination. The TARDIS landed with her usual hum. The Doctor smiled at the noise and made him feel more in control of the situation. There was a way to turn the noise off, but the Doctor liked the noise. He patted the console fondly as she hummed.

"Come along Susan," He called out. Susan stood up from where she had settled next to the wall.

"Where are we, Grandfather?" She wondered as she rubbed her eyes.

"I don't know," He grinned at her happily as he rushed to the door. He loved this part, the opening of the door to discover the new world outside of it. It didn't matter how many years he traveled or how many other planets he set foot on, the feeling was always the same. He opened the door and stepped out onto Earth. He felt slightly disappointed. "London," he sighed.

"There has to be a reason she brought us here," Susan told him. She slipped her hand into his and he squeezed it.

"Do you remember when we first left Gallifrey all those years ago? I tried so hard to be a grumpy old man. I was angry at my family, angry at the other Time Lords and angry at myself for not leaving sooner. It was you who encouraged me to first come to Earth. To walk among the humans and allow you to attend their schools. After Gallifrey was gone, this place became my second home. I could come here and walk among the humans without them suspecting I wasn't one of them," the Doctor told her. He walked down the street that was littered with people. He didn't recognize any of them not that he paid attention.

"You eventually came to love the humans," Susan prompted him to go on. The Doctor nodded.

"I did. Humans are so amazing, yet completely mad," The Doctor replied.

"Just like you," Susan laughed. Her laughter made him laugh. It was one of the things he had missed the most after Gallifrey was gone. Just being able to hold his granddaughter and listen to her laugh. His eyes filled with tears and he wiped them away quickly. Could he really go back to a universe where he could no longer hold his beloved Susan? He didn't want to think about that. He turned to look at her and out of the corner of his eye, he realized why they were there. He turned his attention instead at the people at the table as he hurried forward.

"I swear, six feet tall and with big tusks," Jack was saying with elaborate hand gestures. Mickey leaned back as Jack almost hit him trying to exgarate how big the tusks were.

"You're lying through your teeth!" His ninth self replied. The Doctor smiled. He remembered this day well. It ended badly with the sleethen trying to kill all the government officials but the day had begun pleasantly. From this angle of the conversation, he could see the way Jack looked at him when he talked. Jack had loved him even back then with his big ears and leather jacket. Rose was sitting next to him laughing. She seemed so much younger than the last time he saw her and carefree.

"I ruined them," The Doctor told Susan as he stood a short distance away.

"You saved them," Susan argued him. He glanced at her for a brief second before looking back at them.

"How?" He wondered.

"Because of you Mickey is defending the Earth and you changed Jack from the conman he once was into a good man. You were proud of him the last time you saw him," Susan reminded the Doctor. The Doctor smiled. "And Rose is out there defending the other universe with the help of the meta crisis."

"But Davros is right. I made every single one of them killers," The Doctor argued her. He watched as the group stood up from the table. They were going to Downing street to stop the Sleethen. The Doctor decided not to follow them but instead turned to walk the familiar streets once more. His hearts had broken as every single one of his companions threatened Davros with destroying the Earth in order to save it.

"You did no such thing. You showed them their potential and that there is more to the universe than they ever could have imagined," Susan argued. He didn't answer her as he continued walking.

"Do you smell chips?" Rose wondered. The Doctor stopped, seeing her standing in the middle of the crowd. They had just gone to see her planet be destroyed and she was asking about chips. Though he had laughed and agreed to get chips with her, he had been devastated she didn't understand. How could she understand what it felt like to truly lose her planet? To no longer be able to set foot on its soil or to walk among her people. Earth was still there and so in the end she hadn't understood just how truly alone he felt.

"Grandfather," Susan called out as she hurried to catch up with him. He kept walking quickly though. Turning a corner he sped up as he almost ran into Rose again.

"You upset my mum," She informed Elton as she stormed off the TARDIS. He stood to the side of the door watching her. The alien that was chasing him was no concern at the moment as Rose was angry her mum was upset. The Doctor turned and ran the other direction.

"I'm sorry Doc," Jack told him. He stopped. Jack was standing near Rose's flat. He didn't see himself anywhere as Jack stared up at the building. Posters on the wall indicated that this was right after the battle of Canary Wharf, but this wasn't one of his memories. Curious he moved closer. Jack walked up to the flats. Crouching down he laid a single red rose against the wall.

"How am I seeing this?" The Doctor wondered as Susan caught up to him.

"I don't know," Susan replied. The Doctor watched as Jack stood tall again. He was wearing his coat despite it being a warm day. The Doctor didn't remember the day he lost Rose being quite so sunny. It amazed him that the sky wasn't as dark and gloomy as he felt. He closed his eyes and for just a moment he could feel Jack near him. Opening them again, the feeling was gone, but he still saw Jack standing near the flats. Time bounced off of Jack and what once had offended his Time Lord senses seemed beautiful to him. "It's impossible to travel into another person's memories here."

"I always did love the impossible."


	8. Chapter 8

"Why doesn't he just regenerate," Jack wondered as he watched the Doctor's chest rise and fall. The gentle hiss of the machine reminding Jack with each breath that if it weren't for the life support, he wouldn't be breathing. His ribs were bruised as well and if he were awake, Jack was sure that breathing would be painful. He leaned down to kiss the Doctor's knuckles, being careful not to move his broken arm. Jack had seen the Doctor scraped up and bruised before, but he had really got himself into a mess this time.

"I don't know, but he better not even think of trying," Martha answered Jack. She moved closer to the Time Lord. "You hear me, Mister, you are not going anywhere so don't even think about it." The only response she received was consistent beep of the heart monitor. Checking his pupil response, she found that it was still sluggish. The TARDIS confirmed that he did have a concussion, but they had to take the risk and operate or he would have bleed to death before the concussion resolved itself. Still Martha wasn't sure about Time Lord biology and every step of the way, she was worried that she was making the wrong choices. She ran through the rest of the Doctor's vitals. His blood pressure and blood oxygen rate had both come up a little bit, but not enough that she was happy with them. She turned up the amount of oxygen he was receiving a little to try and help.

"Are you going to be alright watching him while I shower?" Martha asked Jack.

"I have nowhere else to go," Jack responded.

"That's not what I asked," Martha commented looking at Jack. Jack sighed and hung his head.

"Honestly Martha I don't know. Right now all I want to do is drink until I forget what has happened. I can't do that and help him though. Go take a shower and I will monitor him for any changes while you do," Jack told her.

"Are you sure?" Martha wondered as she hesitated on leaving the room. She really wanted the shower and to check on Mickey. He had never helped with surgery before and she could tell that he was shaken up over the experience.

"I'm not going to let anyone else die," Jack told her determinedly. Martha nodded. She left the room without further argument to shower quickly. She trusted Jack, but that didn't mean she wanted to leave him alone with the Doctor for long. After things calmed down a little she was going to get on the phone with UNIT and see if they could lend a nurse or two in order to assist. She had left on good terms so she hoped they would be able to lend a hand. If not she was going to have to get the Brigadier involved, as she knew he would at least want to assist his long time friend.

As soon as Martha was out of the room, Jack stood up over the Doctor. He looked up the Doctor's pale, bruised chest to his just as bruised face. His eyes were closed, with slight discoloration below them. His hair needed to be washed and was laying down, rather than spiked like this Doctor preferred.

"Where were you when I needed you?" Jack hissed slightly at the unresponsive Time Lord. "I called for you and begged you to help me. I shouldn't be surprised as you never did have time for me, but Ianto and Steven were innocent in this Doctor. Now look at you, laying helpless on this bed. I could kill you right now and you wouldn't be able to stop me." Jack paused as he looked at the tube running into the Doctor's throat. Reaching out he gripped the tube in his hand. "I could yank this out and you would suffocate before Martha had the chance to save you." The TARDIS hummed angrily and blew cold air on him. He disregarded her as he continued to hold he tube.

"Is everything alright?" Martha wondered. She had a robe around her body, covering herself as she dripped water onto the floor. She had just started her shower when she felt the urgent need to go and check on the Doctor.

"Fine," Jack responded as he released the tube. Martha didn't miss the motion.

"Jack," She began.

"I'm not going to hurt him. Now finish your shower so that I can take one," Jack snapped at her. He sat down in the chair and crossed his arms. Martha wasn't sure she should leave again though. The TARDIS made the decision easy for her as a pair of clothes appeared on the desk. Whether or not Jack realized she was still in the room was unclear as he began to talk to the Doctor again.

"I love you so much Doc, but I hate you just as much. I hope you do live so that you can tell me why you couldn't save them. Then I am going to walk away, leaving you like you left me," Jack whispered. Reaching up he brushed the Doctor's hair back from his forehead. The Doctor's skin was cooler to his touch and he felt sweaty. Jack ran his hand down the Doctor's head by his ear.

"It's your turn to shower Jack," Martha spoke up as Jack hung his head. Jack looked up at her. Tears glistened in his eyes. Martha could tell that despite Jack's words he could never just walk away. If the Doctor called him, Jack would be there no matter how much it hurt. Martha walked over to Jack and wrapped her arms around him. Jack hugged her back for a moment, before standing and hurrying out of the medi-bay. Martha turned to look at the Doctor as soon as Jack was gone. She checked the ventilation tube before taking a seat. She was going to have to keep a closer eye on Jack then she expected. She couldn't keep an eye on him twenty-four seven though and Mickey had to work. Pulling out her phone she placed the call to UNIT.


	9. Chapter 9

The entire time Jack was away in the shower, Martha spoke to UNIT. It wasn't hard for her to get clearance to have one of the nurses come over and help her tend to the Doctor. Though she had to argue slightly in order to get a nurse that she had worked with in the past. While she trusted UNIT in general, the Doctor was at his most vulnerable and she wanted someone that she knew and trusted. While Hannah was still young, she had proven herself to Martha in their short time working together. The Lead of the hospital was going to take care of all of the paperwork and Hannah was supposed to report to the TARDIS first thing the following morning. Feeling a little better, Martha hung up the phone. As she did, Jack handed her a cup of coffee and sat down next to her.

"I'm sorry that I worried you. I am just so angry still over everything that has happened," Jack apologized as he took a sip of his coffee.

"I am not going to pretend to know what you are going through. Gwen told me that you left Earth after the deaths of Ianto and your grandson. I also understand that you are angry at him for not coming to help you." Martha motioned towards the Doctor. "Killing him won't change what happened though, nor will it bring the people back that we lost."

"I know," Jack sighed. He rested his coffee on his knee as he hung his head. This wasn't the first time he wanted to kill the Doctor, he also knew it wouldn't be the last. Living as long as he did, he tended to get angry at the Doctor when his life was going to hell. It wasn't the Doctor's fault he was immortal though, but Roses. She was the one who had returned against the Doctor's wishes and brought him back to life when he had been exterminated by the Daleks. For some reason, he couldn't blame Rose. Instead, he focused on the fact that it was the Doctor who left him behind. That it was the Doctor that he had to wait over one hundred years for in order to get his answers.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?" Martha wondered softly. Jack shook his head no. Martha didn't say anything or push him as she took a drink of her coffee. Jack needed to talk about what happened but forcing him to wasn't going to get either of them anywhere. Jack would come to her when he was ready and Martha would listen to everything he had to say. Even if it was three in the morning like the last time he decided he was ready to talk. In the meantime, she would keep an eye on him, especially when he was around the Doctor. While she didn't think he would actually kill the Time Lord, he was obviously depressed and might do something stupid.

"When are we going to operate on his arm?" Jack asked, trying to change the subject.

"We are going to have to wait until he is strong enough to undergo surgery again. We will also have to wait for the swelling in his arm to go down. If we try to operate now, we won't be able to close the incisions properly. Here in a little while, as long as he remains stable, we are going to put a temporary cast on his arm instead of the brace as I don't think the brace is going to be enough to stabilize his arm," Martha explained. "I am also going to review the scans and see about using pins to keep his arm in line."

"His bones are stronger than a humans. How did he even break his arm?" Jack questioned her. It would take a great deal of force for something or someone to snap his arm. Jack had seen the Doctor leap off of things that would leave a human dead or seriously injured, yet the Doctor had walked away with barely a scratch.

"I don't know. I suspect he broke his arm at the same time he received his other injuries," Martha answered.

"You mean some bastard hurt him," Jack hissed slightly.

"Yes," Martha agreed. There was no point in lying to Jack as the defensive wounds on the Doctor's hands and arms were quite visible. Jack had been in the military and Torchwood long enough to recognize them and lying to him would only anger him more.

"I wish I knew who attacked him," Jack seethed. Martha stared at him slightly amazed how quickly Jack could go from wanting to see the Doctor dead to wanting to hurt someone for hurting the Doctor.

"Don't be surprised if when he wakes up he can't tell us. He has a serious concussion and may not remember the events leading up to it," Martha informed Jack. Jack nodded. Raising his head, he reached out and took the Doctor's hand in his once more. He just needed to feel the Doctor's cool skin against his own for a moment.

-DW-

The Doctor followed Jack for a moment, as Jack left the estate. The Doctor was curious of where he was going. Susan sighed as she followed behind them but didn't try to stop her Grandfather. There was no point. The two of them followed Jack to a small bar not far from the Powell Estate. There Jack went in and immediately began to flirt with a young man at the bar. Rolling his eyes, the Doctor continued to walk. No matter how many years passed, Jack was still an insufferable flirt.

"Oy Spaceman," Donna called out behind him. The Doctor turned around expectantly. For half a moment, he expected to see Donna storming towards him. He prepared himself to be yelled at, even as he saw her approaching him across the street. He flinched at the memory as she raised her hand and slapped him in the arm.

"Ow, what was that for Donna," He heard himself complain. Before he had time to realize what she had him for, she wrapped him in a hug. Confused he hugged her back.

"Come on, Grandad's waiting," Donna told him as she grabbed his hand and started to drag him towards Wilford's newspaper stand. The Doctor went with her, not testing her patients. He never did figure out why she hit him and he didn't dare ask or he would be slapped again for not paying attention. He couldn't help but smile as he followed them. Donna always kept him on his toes and he missed her more than the others, including Rose.

"I never did figure out a way to save her beyond taking her memories," the Doctor told Susan sadly.

"You saved her life," Susan reminded him. The Doctor nodded. He may have saved her life by taking her memories, but it didn't feel that way. That day on the TARDIS he felt as though he had killed his best friend and a piece of his hearts had gone with her. He stopped as he no longer wanted to follow her or remember how he had destroyed her. Trying not to let Susan see the tears, he turned and headed back to the TARDIS.


	10. Chapter 10

The Doctor walked as quickly as he could to the TARDIS, trying to ignore what was going on around him. The London that he saw was not the same one as on Earth but pieced together from his memories. He jumped back as a car sped down the road, inside he was bracing himself as Martha rushed desperately to her family. Jack was with them and the Doctor tried not to recall the time on the Valiant as he hurried on again. As the Doctor watched the car go, he couldn't help but wonder what would happen if he was hit by the car. Could he die here and if so what would happen to him then. He shuddered as he begged silently for the TARDIS to be in the alley across the way. He ran to it as he heard himself inviting Martha for her first trip with him. He rushed past himself and into the safety of his TARDIS.

"No, no, no, no," He cried out as he made it inside. Gone was the large room with the corals and the grating in the middle holding the console. The orange light and wires running down into the floor had been replaced with a sleek small gray room. In the room, he saw his fifth-self and two females that he hadn't seen in a while. On the floor at their feet, lay a cyberman, but his fifth-self didn't seem that concerned by it as he tried desperately to get the TARDIS to move. The Doctor tried to turn and run out of the TARDIS again, but the doors refused to open.

"I don't want to see this," he yelled as he pulled desperately at the doors trying to get out.

"Please hurry, Doctor. We must get Adric off the freighter," Nyssa begged him.

"The console's damaged," his fifth-self snipped slightly at her as he desperately tried to override the controls.

"Let me off," The Doctor cried out as he tugged harder on the doors. "Susan please open the doors I don't want to see this.

"We must save Adric! There's so little time!" Nyssa informed him. She went quiet for a moment before the Doctor heard her yell. "Look out!" He didn't need to turn around again to know that there was a cyberman coming into the console room. No matter how hard he tried to block this day, it always stood out in his mind as the day that he failed to save his companion.

"I must save Adric!" his fifth-self insisted not raising a finger to help himself. The Doctor heard clattering and then the sound of the Cyberman's gun being fired by Nyssa. He stopped pulling on the doors and laid his head against them.

"Please, don't make me relive this. I don't want to see this," He practically whimpered. Though he was told this was his and he could control it, he was forced to relive Adric's death.

"Adric!" Nyssa cried out one final time as the freighter Adric was on plummeted through Earth's atmosphere. The Doctor never understood why Adric didn't evacuate with the rest of the people aboard the freighter. The Doctor had thought it over many times on the long nights when he couldn't sleep. Time moved on and try as he might not to think of his lost companions, he never forgot them. He never forgot any of their lives or deaths. Closing his eyes, he slid down the doors as the sound of the freighter exploding echoed in the small room.

"Adric? Doctor! Oh, no." Teagan began to cry, tears streaming down her cheeks as she hugged Nyssa tightly. The Doctor looked up as the room went quiet and was relieved to see that the coral was back. The door to the TARDIS opened and Susan nearly tripped over him as she tried to come on board.

"Grandfather are you alright?" She wondered in concern, upon realizing he was on the floor. The Doctor stood up on shaky legs, smiling at her as he did so. Though the smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Fine," he lied. She opened her mouth again and he interrupted her before she could ask him why he was on the floor. It was an inevitable question and he didn't like lying to his Susan. Some secrets were necessary, but it seemed that here secrets didn't matter.

"Just needed to rest for a moment." Taking her head gently in his hands, he kissed the top of it softly. Lowering his arms, he wrapped them around her pulling her close for a hug. She hugged him back tightly as he stared over her shoulder, not letting her see the pain he was feeling from the memory of Adric. As he pulled back, he turned quickly heading up to the console. He paused as he placed his hand on the handbrake. "If I go back will I remember any of this?" He wondered. Susan shook her head no.

"If you go back, this place will fade. You won't remember anything that happened here or the time that we spent together," Susan told him. "Do you want to go back?"

The Doctor took a deep breath as he thought about it. He had barely begun to explore his memories and already he was filled with grief about how many he had hurt or lost during his travels. Did he really want to go back to a universe where he had to travel on alone? Where he had no home planet and no one who would notice if he just disappeared one day. Sure some companions might wonder why he never visited again, but they would just assume that he was out traveling the stars not that he was dead. He crinkled his brow in cofusion as he tried to remember how he came to be in this place between life and death. He couldn't remember and it was giving him a headache.

"Nah," He laughed as he pulled the handbrake. Even in his memories he had explored a lot of places that Susan hadn't seen. He planned to show her every single one of them as he didn't want to miss another moment of traveling with his granddaughter.


	11. Chapter 11

Martha waited as long as she was comfortable with before deciding to cast the Doctor's arm. Though she knew they would have to perform surgery on his arm to get a good alignment in the breaks, Martha was hoping to avoid it for as long as possible. She was optimistic that with a heavy cast it would help pull the breaks back into line enough to support healing. Somewhere in her mind she knew it was false optimism. She was going to have to open the Doctor up again as soon as he was strong enough. Hopefully by then Mickey would return and Hannah would feel comfortable assisting.

"We need to set his arm correctly," Martha told Jack as she stood from her place beside the Doctor's bed. The TARDIS screen changed and on it Martha saw the TARDIS was advising she wait. The Doctor was still completely out due to his head injury and his arm was supported by the brace. He was in as good of an alignment as they were going to get without surgery. Martha sighed as she continued to stand. She ran the Doctor's vitals even though it wasn't necessary with the TARDIS. She still felt more comfortable following her training rather than relying on the TARDIS.

"Are we going to do that now?" Jack wondered as Martha didn't move to get the casting material.

"No, the TARDIS says we should wait until the anesthetic has completely cleared his system so that we can sedate him. She insists that his arm is fine for now," Martha informed Jack.

"One less thing to worry about," Jack smiled. He couldn't help but worry though. He could see the state the Doctor was in. The Doctor had never looked as helpless in Jack's eyes as he did as he lay on the bed. He seemed to sink into the bed more then be supported by it. Jack thought of how easy it would be to put the Doctor out of his misery. Just a single injection of the sleeping pill back in his old office and the Doctor's body would shut down as his organ's relaxed to the point that they stopped working. He sighed who was he kidding the TARDIS would never let him back on with it. He wondered for a moment if the Doctor had the sleeping medication in his own pharmacy stock and the TARDIS hummed angrily at him. Shaking his head, he rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to focus on helping the Doctor.

"Martha," Jack said softly after a moment. She didn't hear him as she concentrated on the Doctor. Even with the fluids that she was running into him through the IV, his catheter didn't seem to be producing much. She was worried that she was going to have to add kidney failure to her list of injuries that he had. She changed the bag out, keeping a small sample in order to test. Jack cleared his throat as she focused on the Doctor.

"Yes, Jack?" She wondered as she turned to look at him for just a moment. Her eyes quickly returned to the Doctor though as she grabbed an empty syringe and inserted it in the crook of his arm.

"Where did Mickey go?" Jack asked her. Martha shrugged. She had been wondering the same thing.

"I don't know. He has never assisted with surgery before and I could tell it really upset him. Would you mind going and making sure he is alright for me?" Martha questioned Jack.

"What about the Doctor?" Jack didn't want to leave his side. If the Doctor took a turn for the worse, Jack needed to be here to assist in making sure he stayed alive long enough to provide answers. Jack ran his hands down his face. He needed a break, fresh air, a drink, anything to help him.

"I will call you if I need you. Mickey should not have gone far though. If he isn't still on the TARDIS then he has probably gone up to his office. He keeps video games and other things to help him calm down and relax," Martha explained. Jack nodded as he stood up and stretched. Gently he dropped a kiss onto the Doctor's head, on the opposite side of the bandage. The Doctor's skin felt even colder than normal to him. Turning Jack headed out of the TARDIS and went to find Mickey.

Like Martha predicted it wasn't hard. Jack didn't know the layout of the new hub yet though so he had to open several doors until he found the room he was looking for. As he searched he was surprised to see that there was an office that was obviously Martha's followed by a second one that wasn't in use. The second one had things that Jack recognized as being his. He thought everything he owned at Torchwood had been destroyed in the explosion but obviously he was wrong. Gently he ran a finger over an old blade that use to belong to his father. He didn't pick it up as he closed the door to the office. The office across the hall belonged to Mickey but he wasn't in it like Martha thought. Jack moved on to the other doors in the long hallway. Through one door he found an unused bedroom. The next door down was open a crack and Jack could see a nursery had been set up inside. That left one final room.

"Mickey," Jack called out as he knocked on the door softly.

"Go away Jack," Mickey responded from within.

"Martha wants to know if you are alright?" Jack told him without moving from his spot.

"Tell her I'm fine," Mickey snipped slightly.

"You don't have to be. I know that I'm not," Jack replied as he leaned slightly against the wall. "I am so angry at him and I want to see him dead while at the same time it would kill me if he died." Jack looked down the hall as he didn't move. "I like the new set up you have here. It feels more open and with the offices and bedrooms being upstairs you actually get light. Who is the unused bedroom for?"

"You, Martha always knew you would come back, she just didn't know when," Mickey told him. He realized that Jack wasn't going anywhere so he thought he might as well answer him.

"I'm not staying. Even if this doesn't look like the old Torchwood, too much has happened here," Jack informed him. He closed his eyes as he could still picture the old hub on this spot and the deaths of Tosh and Owen. He could still see Ianto's young face as he rode out of the elevator for the last time. The explosion that followed killed their resident weevil, Janet, as well as their Pterodactyl, Myfanwy. He hadn't thought about them in awhile and he instinctively looked up for Myfanwy. The ceiling in this hallway was too low and too cramped for her though.

"Gwen told us how you went on the run," Mickey said as the door opened. "I don't blame you, but Torchwood still needs you."

"I don't think I can be that man anymore." Jack hung his head. He didn't want to meet Mickey's eyes as he spoke. The two of them didn't have conversations like this. It was always business related or goofing off. To actually be serious with Mickey felt strange.

"You'll always be Captain Cheesecake," Mickey teased Jack to break the tension.

"You're one to talk Mickey Mouse." Jack smiled. The smile was genuine as Jack felt his mood shift slightly. Mickey realized it to as he chuckled. He patted Jack on the arm as the two of them headed back to the TARDIS.


	12. Chapter 12

Susan sat down on the captain's chair and watched him as he danced around the console. He tried to smile, hitting the buttons with a slight spin as he followed the familiar routine. It was unnecessary of course as this was only his memory and they could go anywhere within it with just a single thought. That didn't stop him from trying to impress his granddaughter though. He could see the worry in her eyes as he came back around. Huffing he plopped down on the seat next to her, putting his feet up on the console.

"Do you think I should go back?" He asked her, not looking at her.

"That's not for me to decide," She answered him. He glanced over at her for just a moment. She was staring down at the grating on the floor and didn't meet his eyes.

"There is so much I want to show you. I never stopped thinking of you and the places we could have traveled together. I never got a chance to take you to Woman's wept to skate on the frozen waves or to Calderon Beta to see the stars. We could even go to the universe's tallest roller coaster and ride it all day with no lines or just sit on the beach of Castorivus six and watch the pink waves wash upon the pure white sand. Anywhere in the universe you can think of Susan, I can take you there," The Doctor told her. He had so many memories of places he wanted to show her. Places he had gone without her but thought every moment of how it would make her smile. After the Time War, he had tried to become a better man again, mainly for her. What would his granddaughter think if she could see the man he had become.

At the thought of the Time War, the room around him changed. The TARDIS interior became a burning building as people ran screaming. The Warrior, the man he refused to admit he ever was, stood inside the building, not afraid of the Daleks that were burning down the once great city.

"No more. This ends tonight" he heard the man say, as he turned to leave. The TARDIS that stood in the corner was burned and scratched from the battles she had been in. She would carry her thief though, the games of old gone as she took him exactly where he wanted to go. It was the only time in his long life that she truly listened to him, as she too realized the cost of the war.

"Grandfather?" Susan asked in concern. The Doctor blinked and he was back inside his TARDIS, still sitting with Susan. He jumped to his feet as the TARDIS alerted him that it was time to begin the landing sequence. "Where did you go just now?"

"Nowhere," He lied as he pressed the familiar buttons. The TARDIS hummed at him, blowing warm air. He reached out and patted her console, but even as he did she felt distant to him. She had always been there for him, his home, his companion, and his friend. When everyone else left, he could always trust her to carry him on. Where he was going though, was a place that she could not follow. Out of everything that he was leaving behind, he was going to miss her the most.

"If you go back, you can build more memories of places you want to show me," Susan told him softly.

"I don't want to leave you again," He whispered. He placed both hands on the console hanging his head.

"It would only be goodbye for a little while." Susan stood up coming over to him. She placed one hand on his. "I will still be here waiting for you Grandfather when it is your time."

"Along with all the rest?" The Doctor wondered. He wanted to hold his baby Arkyitor in his arms as he begged forgiveness from his mother. He wanted to run in the red grass with Koschei, who hopefully would finally be free of the drums that plagued him his entire life. He wanted to show Susan the universe and spend time with his children.

"Everyone is waiting for you on the other side. It isn't your time though Grandfather. If you choose to join us today, there is so much that you will miss out on," Susan explained to him. The Doctor moved away from her as he walked slowly around the console, flicking switches and pressing buttons. Occasionally he pulled a lever or two, but mainly he needed a moment to think. She was right there was still a lot of things to do and see in the universe. It would only be another regeneration before he could join them, but it wouldn't be the same man who stood here now. It would be another who walked into this place and held Susan in his arms. He glanced up at her.

"Can I take you on one more trip before I decided?" The Doctor asked as he made his way back over to the handbrake.

"Of course," Susan replied with a smile. He smiled back at her as he landed the TARDIS for their next adventure.

-DW-

As Mickey and Jack entered the TARDIS, she blew cold air on them. She wasn't happy with Jack and his threats against her thief. The only reason she was allowing them back on is her driver needed attention that she could not provide him. She had carried him to Torchwood so they could get him up off the floor of the medi-bay and perform the surgery he desperately needed. She would continue to allow them on board as long as they helped him. Jack placed a hand on her railing and she shocked him, warning him against hurting her thief. It wasn't enough to kill him, but it caused him to cry out in surprise. He jumped back, nearly knocking Mickey over.

"What did you do to make her mad?" Mickey wondered as he patted the coral.

"I threatened the Doctor," Jack admitted. Mickey shook his head.

"Keep that up and she won't allow you on the TARDIS," Mickey told him as they headed to the medi-bay. During the time that Jack was gone, there was no change with the Doctor. He was still laying limp on the bed with the machine breathing for him. The blankets were just below his hips so that Martha could see the bandage on his stomach from the surgery. Martha was sitting next to the bed, reading a book that the TARDIS had provided for her.

"How is he?" Jack asked as they went over to the Doctor's bed.

"The same," Martha answered. Standing up she gave Mickey a hug. "How are you doing?"

"Fine," He replied automatically. Martha groaned. She hated that answer. Fine never told her anything and was a common answer from her patients throughout the years. She one time even had a soldier walk into her hospital with an obviously broken arm, then tell her he was fine.

"Mickey," She sighed.

"I was a little shaken up, but I am fine, I promise," Mickey reassured her, continuing to hold her close. Wanting to give them a minute, Jack went to go get coffee. As he left he glanced over his shoulder one last time to see Mickey placing his hand on Martha's slightly bulged stomach with a smile. Two coffees, he decided as he wondered what he should bring Martha.


	13. Chapter 13

Jack had to leave the TARDIS in order to find coffee. He made the mistake of going to the TARDIS kitchen first. He wasn't surprised though that the only thing he found in there was tea, two bananas and a half eaten pack of biscuits. The Doctor never did keep a lot of food on hand as he normally just stopped in various places to eat. Upon leaving, Jack realized that he had no idea if there was a kitchen in the hub. Exploring he found it tucked in the corner by a breakroom.

The kitchen was well stocked with food and Jack snacked on a few crisp as he made coffee. As he snacked he couldn't help but wonder if Martha and Mickey were hungry too. Rather than go back to the TARDIS to ask them, Jack made a few sandwiches to take with him. By the time, he was done making the sandwiches the kettle was hot enough for the coffee. He poured two cups adding sugar to the one for Mickey. Once, the cups were poured he looked for somwthing for Martha to drink. In the fridge was a container of water with strawberries seeping in it. Jack poured a glass and then tried to figure out how he was going to take them all back to the medi-bay. He didn't see a tray he could set them on, so improvising, he grabbed a sheet pan he placed the plate of sandwiches along with the drinks on it. Picking the pan up carefully, he started back to the TARDIS. As he approached it, he was confused to see the door closed. Setting down the cups, he pulled keys. Placing it in the lock he tried to turn it, but the door refused to open.

"I'm sorry," Jack apologized, leaning his head against the wood. There was no reaction from the TARDIS as her doors remained tightly closed. "I won't hurt him. I could never hurt him. I am just so angry. You understand because he understands. You have helped him deal with the hurt and anger of a long life and the pain of losing everyone you ever loved. I had no one." Jack tried the key one more time and this time the door opened. Thanking her silently, he picked up the pan and headed to the medi-bay. As he walked she blew cool air on him as a warning.

"I'll behave," he reassured her as he continued to walk. Entering the medi-bay he found Martha alone with the Doctor. She had a small tub of water next to her and was gently giving the Doctor a sponge bath.

"I am cleaning him up now, and then I am going to go to the lab to finish testing his urine and blood for kidney damage," Martha told Jack without looking up at him. "Once we know for sure that he is stable, I am going to try to start weaning him off the ventilator."

"Do you think that he will be able to breathe on his own?" Jack wondered as he sat the pan down on another bed.

"I don't know. We have to try though," Martha commented as she continued to work. Breathing on his own was just one step to him having a full recovery. Martha at the moment though was more concerned with him living through the night. She was thankful that the TARDIS would be able to warn her of any swelling in his brain or internal bleeds before she would be able to find it herself. She hoped that she didn't have to open the Doctor up again before the surgery on his arm. If she did though, she was sure that this time she would be more prepared for it mentally.

"Brillant," Mickey said as he entered the medi-bay to find sandwiches on the bed. He grabbed one taking a big bite of it as he tried to figure out which coffee was his. Jack made it easy for him and handed him the one with sugar. Flopping down into the chair, Mickey kicked back as he ate hungrily. Jack took a sandwich and ate as he tried not to watch Martha finish bathing the Doctor. He couldn't help and stare though at the pale skin that he had only seen beneath a suit before the Valiant.

"There we go, doesn't that feel better?" Martha asked the Doctor as she finished. The Doctor, of course, didn't answer even as Jack hoped that he would.

"Eat, I will clean up," Jack told her as she started to head towards the sink. Martha handed him the bowl of water and he took it to the sink as she helped herself to a sandwich. She took the glass of water and went to sit by Mickey as she ate. Jack emptied the bowl and then returned to the Doctor's side, taking his hand. He squeezed it, listening to the gentle hiss of the ventilator.

"Will you stay here with Jack while I check the Doctor's blood?" Martha asked Mickey as she ate.

"I have to go take care of the prisoner. I just threw him in the cells and ran to the TARDIS," Mickey answered back.

"I can be on my own with him," Jack told them indignantly. He didn't like that they were talking about him as though he were a child when he was in the room.

"Can you take care of that now? I can wait until you come back to run the test as long as you don't take too long," Martha wondered. Mickey stood up.

"I will be right back," he reassured her as he rushed out of the TARDIS. Jack sighed as he watched Mickey go. Hanging his head, he continued to hold on to the Doctor's hand. He was going to have to earn their trust again when it came to leaving him alone with the Doctor. He made a small promise to himself that he wasn't going to threaten the Doctor again as the Doctor fought for his life. At least not allowed where the TARDIS and Martha could hear him.


	14. Chapter 14

Though the Doctor had set a destination on the TARDIS he didn't recognize where they landed. He had set the TARDIS to take them to a small planet in the Osiris Cluster. The planet was known for the white quartz that they made their homes out of that stood out on the dark green grass. Trees grew everywhere with large leaves that bathed the homes in shadows most of the day, except for the occasional glimpse of the twin red suns that the planet orbited. Looking at the single sun in the sky with sandy beach stretching out in front of them, the Doctor felt slightly disappointed as well as curious.

"Where are we Grandfather?" Susan wondered as she joined him on the beach.

"I don't know," the Doctor answered cheerfully. Looking around he saw a tall building on the other side of the water. The building followed no logical shape as it had rooms sicking out at various points. There were also two larger towers with metal struts sticking between them. The Doctor started to head to it, but stopped when he saw a group of people running towards them. They were screaming in fear as they ran across the beach. The Doctor looked for the source of their fear. Finding it, he started to head towards the creatures.

"Sitarikira," The Doctor hissed under his breath as he walked forward. Momentarily he forgot this was just a memory as he headed towards them. He had only ran into the Sitarikira once before and knew very little about them. What he did know made him angry. They were a nomadic race that enjoyed hunting as a sport. They would often attack a village as they passed by, for no other reason to hunt, kill and kidnap their children. The children would then be tortured and if they survived they often joined the Sitarikira ships as their slaves. Some had escaped, but none of the survivors the Doctor had found were sane enough to save. Though that didn't stop him from trying.

"You can't stop them. This is just a memory," Susan reminded him as she grabbed his hand. He stopped at the feeling of her hand in his as the people ran past them. Not to far from him, he saw a man stop with his two sons. The Doctor wasn't sure how old the boys were but the older one looked like his father with short light brown hair and brilliant blue eyes. The younger one had long brown hair that was blowing slightly in the cool breeze. The man stood tall as he looked at the two boys momentarily taking their hands.

"Run. Take Gray and keep him safe," he told the older one. The older boy grabbed at his father's arm.

"No, no, no dad. Come with us," he begged. His father pulled his arm away.

"No. I've got to go get your mother," he replied as he pushed the older boy slightly. "Run," the man yelled. The two boys joined hands as they ran across the beach towards the trees that lined it. The Doctor turned to watch them running. As he did, he saw the older boy let go. Gray fell behind but the older boy kept running, not seeming to notice he had lost his brother. The Doctor couldn't stop the Sitarikira as they grabbed Gray, covering his mouth so he couldn't cry out and carried him towards their ship. He turned to see the older boy crouched down in a tree.

"Gray," he called out as he realized his brother was gone. He kept calling his brother's name as he left his hiding place and ran back across the beach. The Doctor followed behind him as he ran towards the strange building. Bodies littered the beach and though the boy checked everyone, he didn't stop. He couldn't stop until he found his brother. He continued to run until he came to the large building. The Doctor's heart broke for the child as he saw in front of it the boy's father.

"Apa," the boy whispered as he dropped to his knees beside his father. The arrow wound in the man's chest was straight through his heart. "Can somebody help?" No one came though. Sitting down, he gently stroked his father's head, waiting for the help that never came. As he did, the scene around them changed. The boy grew before his eyes into an adult that the Doctor would recognize anywhere.

"Jack," He said in slight surprise. Jack never told him the pain that he had gone through as a child in losing his brother and father. Now he stood in front of a freshly dug grave near the hillside. The Doctor could tell that this time they were on Earth, though he wasn't aware of the exact location. The grave was marked with the name Emma Harkness and only a date. The Doctor reached out to the heartbroken man. Jack couldn't feel him and as he turned away. Memories flashed faster than the Doctor could keep up with as he followed Jack.

"We should leave," Susan told him trying to get his attention. The Doctor couldn't leave though. He felt as though he were intruding into Jack's life while at the same time reaching a new understanding about the once conman he called his friend.

"I won't remember this when I wake up," The Doctor told her.

"No," She agreed. "That doesn't mean that we should stay. You aren't meant to visit another's memories."

"I have to know," The Doctor informed her as he stayed close to Jack. The memories slowed down and now they stood in a large blue room. In the middle of the room was a giant glass tank with a creature know as the 456. Jack was sitting on the floor cradling Ianto in his arms. Tears filled his eyes as Ianto struggled to breathe. The Doctor knelt down beside them, trying to place a hand on Jack's shoulder to comfort him as he held his dying lover.

"It's all my fault," Jack told Ianto as he looked down at him.

"No it's not," Ianto argued weakly shaking his head.

"Don't speak. Save your breath," Jack cried. He reached up, placing his hand on the side of Ianto's face, gently running his thumb on his cheek.

"I love you," Ianto murmured. His words barely audible through his tears.

"Don't," Jack told him, not ready to say goodbye yet. Ianto's head lulled to the side as his eyes closed. Jack shook him gently trying to rouse him as he cried out his name. Ianto? Ianto. Ianto, stay with me. Ianto, stay with me, please." Jack begged. The Doctor could tell that Ianto was still breathing but just barely as he forced his eyes open once more. "Stay with me. Stay with me, please."

"Hey. It was good, yeah?" Ianto asked him softly. Jack thumbed the side of Ianto's face once more, trying to comfort the man and keep him with him.

"Yeah," Jack agreed.

"Don't forget me," Ianto begged him.

"Never could," Jack responded.

"A thousand year's time you won't remember me," Ianto cried, every word a struggle.

"Yes, I will. I promise. I will," Jack informed him. As he said the words Ianto gasped for breath twice more before going still in Jack's arms. Jack stared at him slightly stunned for a moment before his voice found him again. He could barely speak above a whisper as he spoke to his lover. "Ianto. Ianto? Don't go. Don't leave me, please. Please don't."

"You will die, and tomorrow your people will deliver the children," the Creature in the tank said ruining the moment. Jack glanced up at it briefly before turning his attention back to Ianto. Leaning down he placed one last kiss on Ianto's lips before falling to the side. The Doctor stood as Jack died on the floor next to his lover.

"I have to go back," he told Susan.


	15. Chapter 15

The Doctor wished for the TARDIS to be there as he stared at Jack laying dead next to Ianto. He didn't like seeing Jack dead, even if he knew he would come back. Almost as soon as he had the thought, the TARDIS appeared next to him. Gratefully, he opened up the doors hurrying into the comfort of the control room. He ran a hand along her coral as he hurried by.

"Are you sure," Susan wondered at his change of mind as she followed him on board. He had been adamant before that he wanted to continue to travel with her. Now he wanted to go back and Susan wanted to be sure before he left her. The Doctor didn't look at her as he nodded.

"It is because of me that Jack is immortal. It doesn't matter that Rose is the one who brought him back because if I hadn't asked him to travel with me, he would have lived a normal life span. This attack by the 456 is recent and he lost his lover during it. I know what that is like," The Doctor whispered. The Doctor could still clearly see Jack lying by the young welsh man. He had seen him not long ago on his screen as they towed the Earth back to it's rightful place in the universe. Now he was gone, just a memory that Jack would hold close to him. The Doctor had no doubt that Jack remembered Ianto still as he kept the people of New Earth alive billions of years in the future.

"So you feel sorry for him?" Susan tried to clarify. The Doctor looked up at her finally.

"No, but they still need me," The Doctor answered. Walking over to Susan he kissed her softly on the head before taking her into his arms. She pressed her face against his chest holding onto him tightly. "I will see you again my Kui'la."

"I know," Susan whispered. As the Doctor held her, not wanting to let go quite yet, he felt like his chest was constricting. He gasped for breath, as he pulled away from her. "Grandfather," Susan cried out in alarm.

"What is happening?" He wondered, bracing himself on the console.

"It is time to wake up," Susan answered as she took his hand in hers one last time.

-DW-

Mickey sat quietly with Jack while Martha was in the next room testing the Doctor's blood. Though Jack was curious of who Mickey had taken as a prisoner, he didn't ask and Mickey didn't offer any information. Instead, Mickey had brought a textbook with him and he studied quietly as Jack held the Doctor's hand. With the room being so quiet, Jack couldn't help but think back on all the people he had lost over the years. His brother and his father to the attack on the Boshane Peninsula when he had failed to keep hold of Gray's hand. His mother never forgave him for taking Gray from her and it was part of the reason he joined the Time Agency.

It was because of that decision that he met the Doctor. It was also because of that decision that years later he found himself settled down with a young woman in the 1800's. It amazed him that he could find happiness there as he held her at night. He even was excited as her stomach grew with his first child. His happiness was dashed that warm spring night as his daughter came into the world too early. He didn't have the medicine or the technology to help her and he cursed the Doctor for leaving him behind to suffer. His wife couldn't take the loss of their beautiful Emma and joined her in the ground not even a month later. Jack tried to drink himself to death after that. Looking back, he probably accomplished it, but it wasn't until Ellis Island that he would finally realize he was immortal.

He tried not to think of his other friends, lovers and children over the years as he squeezed his eyes tightly closed. There was still one though that he couldn't get out of his mind. One that he had promised he would remember in a thousand years but knew he would never forget. He had held Ianto as he was taken away from him in that cold blue room. It was because of him that Ianto was dead. He was cocky and the 456 made him pay. Jack tried not to move the Doctor's hand as he lowered his head until he was resting his forehead on it as he tried not to cry. The tears slipped free anyways and he wiped them away quickly. Hearing footsteps come into the room. He quickly raised his head.

"I didn't mean to startle you," Martha apologized. Approaching the bed she once more started on the Doctor's vitals. Jack though was impatient for news on the Doctor's health.

"How are his kidneys?" Jack wondered. Martha glanced over at him.

"The test all came back negative for kidney damage. I believe he just bruised it and will confirm that with an ultrasound of his kidneys. The good news is that all he will need to do is rest and limit his fluid intake to heal. Unfortunately until that happens he is going to be in additional pain," Martha stated. "He is being given painkillers right now for his broken arm as well as surgical wounds so they will help with any pain that his kidneys cause him."

"We are going to have one unhappy Time Lord when he wakes up," Jack stated. Martha nodded her agreement though she wasn't as sure as Jack was. She still didn't like the way the Doctor's vitals looked, even if he was stable. Still he had survived the surgery and even if it was hard to tell time in the TARDIS, that had been almost six hours ago and he was still holding on. There had been no scares or rush to bring him back as his hearts beat strongly.

"I am going to turn of the ventilator and see if he breathes on his own now. If he still needs it, we can turn it back on," Martha informed Jack as she moved to the machine.

"Are you sure he is ready?" Jack worried.

"While I am not sure why he wasn't breathing when I found him, he is stable now and his internal injuries have been dealt with. He still has a concussion as well as other injuries that are going to make him feel horrible, but it should not affect his breathing," Martha explained. She turned off the machine and they waited. For Jack, time seemed to be going by slowly as he worried that the Doctor wasn't going to take a breath. He didn't have to worry long though. The Doctor quickly realized that the machine was no longer going to breathe for him and he now had to make an effort. He took a small breath, followed by another before falling into a slow deep pattern.

"Well done," Jack cheered, leaning down once more to kiss his hand.

"I agree Doctor well done. I will remove that tube for you here soon as long as you continue to breathe," Martha informed him. She looked at the blood oxygen reader on the Doctor's finger. The percentage had fallen a little so she placed an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose, including the tube, to assist him. She then decided against performing an ultrasound, opting instead to MRI just his kidneys. The scan came back showing she was right about the bruising. Bed rest was just what he needed right now to heal and Martha had hope that he would wake up. However faint it was.


	16. Chapter 16

The night wore on as the heart monitor continued to beep and the Doctor breathed slow and steady. Martha fussed over him, but there was really nothing more she could do at the moment. He was medicated, receiving oxygen and healing. His arm had swollen over the last few hours and was bruising over the site of the break. Jack didn't know what to think about the fact that even with the Doctor's arm being swollen it was still skinnier than Jack's own arm. He continued to hold the Doctor's hand gently in his own as he sat awake in the medi-bay. On the next bed over Martha was curled up with Mickey, having refused to head up to her room to sleep. She wanted to be near the Doctor in case he needed her.

"Just come back to us," Jack whispered to the Doctor as he continued to hold his hand. He laid his head on the bed next to the Doctor's hand, trying to rest. He tried not to think about what it would be like if the Doctor had died. If Jack never got to speak with him again or be told off for flirting. He couldn't help it that he was from the fifty-first century and for him flirting was as natural as breathing. The fact that the Doctor always told him to stop it irritated him, but he tried not to focus on that. He tried hard not to be angry with the Doctor or Martha would kick him off the TARDIS.

Halfway through the night, Martha got up out of bed. She was only up long enough to check the Doctor's vitals and switch over his IV. She confirmed with the TARDIS that he was still stable as she did. Jack kept his head down pretending to be asleep while she worked. He didn't want to be told to move or talk to her. She didn't mind that he was there and she worked around him before climbing back into the warmth of Mickey's arms. It wasn't even two hours later that Jack felt the Doctor's fingers flex. The movement was so subtle that at first Jack thought he had imagined it. A minute later though, the Doctor's fingers moved again.

"Doctor? Doctor, can you hear me? Jack asked softly as he lifted his head to look at the Doctor's face. The Doctor's eyes were still closed, but he was no longer breathing slowly and deeply as he was beginning to wake. Jack sat up straight so that he could see the Doctor more clearly.

"Jack?" The reply was so soft that Jack almost missed it as the Doctor breathed out the word. "Ow," The Doctor cried that part Jack didn't miss. A tear streamed out the side of his eye as he held onto Jack's hand, his grip tightening slightly. He tried to figure out why he was hurting so badly, but he couldn't remember. The last thing he remembered was strolling the marketplace on Callas. He was speaking with one of the locals about their annual flower festival and then nothing. He didn't remember leaving the planet. He tried to focus on what happened and for some reason he thought of Susan. That didn't make any sense and so he tried to focus harder on what happened to him, but everything hurt. It hurt to breathe, hurt to think and he didn't even want to try to move. His arm felt as though it was ripped in two and he had deep pains in his stomach, unlike anything he had ever felt before.

"Martha," Jack called out. Martha groaned and turned further into Mickey forgetting why she was on the TARDIS momentarily. "Martha wake up he needs you."

"I'm up," She moaned getting out of bed. It was only then that she noticed that the Doctor's heart beats had sped up and his breathing was no longer slow and even. She hurried over to the bed. Jack reached up with his free hand and gently thumbed the tear off the Doctor's cheek as she approached.

"Are you waking up?" She asked him as she checked his oxygen level, adjusting it slightly for him.

"Ow," he moaned again. He just wanted the pain to stop so that he could slip back into the oblivion of sleep. He wasn't sure how or why Martha and Jack were on the TARDIS. At the moment, he didn't care as long as one of them would give him the pain medication that he needed.

"Can you open your eyes for me?" Martha wondered as she pulled out a syringe along with his painkillers from a drawer beside the bed. She filled the syringe to the correct amount, then injected it into the cannula in his arm. Capping the syringe, she set it down on the bedside table as she reached up to rub his shoulder. "Come on open up your eyes," She tried to encourage him. He ignored her as his breathing evened.

"He's out," Jack told her as his hand went limp in Jack's grip. Jack gently laid the Doctor's hand on the bed as he stood up to stretch. Martha checked the Doctor's vitals over before getting a damp cloth and wiping the tear that had tracked down his cheeks.

"When he wakes next, he should be more comfortable now that we have increased his pain medication," Martha informed Jack. Jack nodded.

"I can continue to sit with him if you want to rest again," Jack offered.

"I won't be able to sleep again," Martha told Jack, declining his over. What she really wanted at the moment was a hot cup of coffee. Placing a hand on her stomach she realized that she would have to settle for juice instead. There were oranges in the kitchen in Torchwood and she could squeeze them for breakfast, or better yet send Mickey to make orange juice as well as a full English breakfast. Her stomach growled at the thought.

"Do you want me to go get you something to eat?" Jack offered.

"I was thinking of having Mickey make a fry up," Martha replied as she moved over to where Mickey was still sleeping. Jack couldn't deny that sounded good as he couldn't remember the last time he ate a decent meal. Sitting on the side of the bed, Martha gently woke Mickey up. He smiled up at her, but that smile faded as he was informed that she wanted a fry up with mushrooms and potatoes as well.

"Can I shower first?" He wondered as he sat up in bed.

"I guess," Martha sighed playfully, then leaned forward to kiss Mickey on the lips. Mickey got out of bed and headed towards his room in the TARDIS to shower. As he did, Jack went up to the kitchen to start breakfast. Mickey joined him after his shower and together the two of them made the large breakfast. Placing it all on trays they returned to the TARDIS with the food, sitting on the bed next to the Doctor's as they enjoyed their meals. Jack kept one eye on the Doctor as he ate, but the Time Lord didn't stir again. Still he had been awake for a short time once already and Jack had faith that it would be only a matter of time before he woke up again.


	17. Chapter 17

After breakfast, Jack helped Mickey clean up while Martha tended to the Doctor. Before heading back to the TARDIS, Mickey took him down to the cells to feed the prisoner. Jack was surprised to see the prisoner wasn't human but what looked to be a crossbred between a weevil and some sort of mammal. Jack could see intelligence in its eyes, yet it refused to speak to them or acknowledge the fact they were at the cell.

"What did he do?" Jack asked as he looked at the strange alien.

"There have been several suspicious deaths around Cardiff lately and he can be linked to the last two. He ran when we tried to apprehend him and I had to use a stun gun to stop him. He won't be a problem much longer as we are sending him out as soon as the rift opens up again," Mickey told Jack as he pushed some leftover bread, sausage and mushrooms into the cell. The prisoner looked at it but didn't touch any of it.

"Have you tried to talk to him and find out if he really was responsible?" Jack wondered as he stared at the strange creature. After Ianto's death, he had traveled the stars looking for a place to call home again before settling back in Cardiff. He went to a few interspecies bars, but this was the first time he saw a creature like the one in front of him.

"He refuses to talk if he can," Mickey answered Jack. Jack stared at the creature for a moment. The creature looked as though it was scared now that Jack really studied it. It was curled into itself in the corner of the cell and was watching them careful. Jack could be wrong, but he didn't think that it was a killer.

"The Doctor is waking up and will more than likely be here for a few weeks while he heals. Don't send him through the rift yet, but wait until the Doctor has a chance to talk to him," Jack suggested as he glanced at Mickey. Mickey thought about it a moment.

"Alright," Mickey agreed. The two of them left the prisoner as Mickey headed up to his office to work. Jack though went straight back to the medi-bay taking up his post beside the Doctor's bed again. His stomach was slightly sour after eating so much, but for the first time in awhile he actually felt full. He took the Doctor's hand in his, holding it gently as the Doctor continued to sleep.

Martha kept one eye on them as she sat at a desk nearby with several of the Doctor's x-rays on his arm. She was trying to figure out the best way to screw a plate the bone and make the screws removable if necessary. She wasn't an orthopedic doctor though. It was at times like this that she missed UNIT and all the training she had received there. She wouldn't go back to it though. While she could never repay them for the opportunity she found the military life exhausting. Here she could run her own clinic and while there wasn't a lot of people to treat, she could spend time with her husband and raise their child. She wasn't going to have to rely on nannies or daycares due to the long hours she had to work at UNIT or another hospital. She had almost figured out where to place the pin when Jack spoke up.

"Martha he is waking up again," Jack called out. Martha glanced quickly at the clock, seeing that it was after ten in the morning. Wondering where the time had gone, she stretched before heading over to his bed. While the Doctor's eyes hadn't opened, his heart rate was once again increasing. Marhta rubbed his shoulder, trying to give him something to focus on as he struggled to wake up.

"Come on Doctor open your eyes for me," Martha cooed softly.

"Martha," The Doctor whined not listening to her. Jack chuckled. He didn't understand why he was waking as he had been having a nice dream for a change. He had dreamed that he was with his beloved Susan again and they were exploring the small shops on Chen Chen. He wanted to reclaim the dream before it faded. Martha was making that hard as she continued to rub his arm trying to coax him awake. He didn't want to open his eyes and accept the pain that he was still in. The pain had dulled, but he could still feel it within his stomach and stretching through his arm, then up to his head.

"I know I'm mean. Just open your eyes so that I can make sure you're alright and I will let you go back to sleep," Martha informed him. He scrunched his face at her. Smacking his lips, he tried to roll onto his side. Martha placed pressure on his shoulder to stop him. "I'm sorry Doctor, but you need to remain on your back for now."

"Jack," He complained remembering he was there. Neither one of them missed the tears that escaped from the side of his eyes.

"It's alright Doctor. I'm here," Jack reassured him. He held the Doctor's hand tighter letting him know that he was beside him. "I know Martha seems like she is being mean, but she is just trying to see how you are feeling. So why don't you let her know so she can help you to feel better."

"K," The Doctor reluctantly agreed. His eyes were still closed though and he made no effort to open them.

"Open your eyes and tell me how you are feeling," Martha suggested.

"Bleh," The Doctor replied.

"That badly huh. You were hurt, but we are taking care of you. When you are a little better I will go over your injuries with you," Martha informed him. The Doctor didn't react or acknowledge her. Martha wondered if he was even still listening to her. "Can you tell me if anything is hurting?" She asked him. She received a reply this time of a soft sore coming from the Doctor as he drifted back to sleep. Martha sighed.

"He was awake longer that time," Jack told her looking on the positive side. Martha nodded her agreement at his statement.

"He is getting better. It is going to take time though. Hopefully next time he wakes we can get him to stay awake long enough to actually talk with us and have something to drink. The IV is keeping him hydrated for now. The fact that he didn't complain about having one shows me how horrible he is feeling," Martha informed Jack. She would never forget that the Doctor hated IV's even if she had only seen him with one once in the past. He had complained so much Martha felt as though she were torturing him rather than giving him the medication that he needed. Martha checked on the Doctor's vitals and then went around to Jack. She wanted to talk to him but didn't want to risk waking the Doctor. Sitting down she lowered her voice and leaned closer.

"Yes, Martha?" Jack wondered as she moved closer to him.

"I know you are still angry with him. I can see it in your eyes as you watch him sleep. He obviously trust you though. I would think long and hard if you want to destroy that trust while he is relying on us to help him get better," Martha told Jack. Jack looked down at the ground as he was scolded. Martha was right, he knew she was right, that didn't make hearing it any easier.

"I won't hurt him," Jack promised her.

"I hope not," Martha replied as she stood up. She moved back to her desk to once again figure out how she was going to fix his arm.


	18. Chapter 18

The Doctor was waking up again, but he didn't want to wake up. In his dreams he was back on Gallifrey running in the red grass between his and Koschei's home. If he just ran a little further, he would have been able to see the large house that Koschei's family lived in. He could almost smell the flowers that decorated the land near his house. Koschei would be waiting for him somewhere in the trees behind his home and it was there that they would steal time and kisses together. It was also there that he would make love to Koschei for the first time on a blue blanket as he stared up at the stars. No matter how hard he tried, he could never remember the exact moment he fell in love with his childhood friend. He would never forget though the day that Koschei broke his hearts. He had never felt so alone and never would again until the day that Gallifrey burned.

He tried to groan as he didn't want to think about that either. He had a choice now, wake up to a world of pain or continue to sleep and let the nightmares feel his once peaceful dreams. He already made his choice before he finished the thought. As he woke the pain returned. It wasn't as strong as the first time, yet it was still there. He could feel his arm throbbing painfully with every beat of his hearts. His stomach was sour to the point he felt as though he was going to be sick and his head felt foggy beneath the medication in his system. Yet he could feel the remnants of the headache almost as though they were hidden on the other side of the closed door. He didn't want to open that door and invite the pain back in. He just wanted it to go away.

"Tea," he whispered finally as he realized he couldn't just go back to sleep. His mouth felt dry and he didn't like the cold air blowing on his face. Why Martha thought an oxygen mask was appropriate was beyond him, but he planned to take it off as soon as he could get Jack to release his good hand. He was positive it was Jack who was holding his hand before Jack even spoke as the hand was too large to be Marthas.

"I think you might want to ask Martha first," Jack replied giving the Doctor's hand a gentle squeeze. He had already waved Martha over from where she was working when the Doctor groaned upon waking. The fact that he was awake enough to ask for tea gave Jack hope though that he was feeling better.

"I would really like you to open your eyes for me this time. Then I will get you a nice drink of water and we will see about a hot cup of tea," Martha suggested as she approached the bed. She didn't want to rub his shoulder to try to rouse him and upset him again, but she would if he continued to ignore her and leave his eyes tightly closed. She watched his face as his eyes twitched then opened just a crack before closing again.

"You can do better than that," Jack chastised him softly. The Doctor's eyes opened again, this time enough that he could see Jack sitting by his bed. He turned his eyes slowly to look at Martha before closing them again.

"Head hurts," He moaned as he did.

"You have a concussion," Martha informed him as she watched him.

"Yeah," He agreed. He pulled at his hand slightly and Jack let it go. He didn't stop moving his hand until he reached the oxygen mask on his face. Martha quickly glanced at the oxygen reader before she helped him to remove the mask. He took a deep breath, wincing as he did. "Tea?"

"Water first," Martha replied. She picked up the water beside his bed and held the straw close to his mouth. His eyes opened just a crack again. He latched onto the straw taking a sip of it. He had to admit the cool water felt good in his dry mouth, but he needed tea. Martha nodded her consent to Jack. Standing he headed to the TARDIS kitchen to make the Doctor a hot cuppa. Once he was gone Martha set the glass of water down. "Jack has gone to make you tea. While he is gone I want you to tell me how you are feeling."

"Sore," The Doctor answered, feeling too sickly to fall back to his normal fine. Now that he was waking up more he was relieved Jack and Martha were there to take care of him so he didn't have to think about moving.

"A little more detail would be nice. What specifically is sore?" Martha asked, trying to assess how he was.

"How far along are you?" The Doctor wondered as he pointed at her stomach. Martha sighed.

"Almost seven months gone. Mickey and I are having a little boy," she told him placing a hand on her stomach.

"Ha, Mickey the idiot," The Doctor mumbled. Martha gently tapped his shoulder with her hand.

"Be nice. Now enough ignoring my question. Can you please tell me what is sore?" Martha wondered. The Doctor huffed and for a moment Martha thought he was going to ignore her again.

"Head, stomach and my arm," He answered her finally. The three things he named were exactly in line with the injuries she had found.

"Are they hurting sore?" Martha questioned. He still had a little room with his painkillers if he needed more, but she was hoping to avoid giving him the maximum dose.

"No, just there," The Doctor responded. "What happened?"

"I don't know," Martha told him honestly. Thankfully she was saved from having to say anymore by Jack returning with his tea. She would explain what she knew when he was more awake, but even now she could see that he was struggling to keep his eyes open the small amount they were. She would allow him the cup of tea and then let him go back to sleep as rest was the best thing for him right now. As Jack came over to them, she was happy to see that Jack had remembered he was on a limited fluid intake due to his kidneys. The cup was smaller than the one the Doctor favored, but he could have another cup later if he wanted it.

"A nice hot cuppa," Jack informed the Doctor. The Doctor reached out for it and Jack helped him to hold it. The Doctor took a large mouthful holding it for a moment before swallowing. Jack always had made a good cup of tea and he was thankful that hadn't changed. His stomach didn't exactly protest the tea, yet he didn't drink too much out of fear he was going to be sick.

"No more," He told Jack turning his head away from the barely touched tea. Jack set the tea down on the nightstand before once more taking his place beside the Doctor's bed. He took the Doctor's hand in his own, rubbing his knuckles with his thumb.

"Sleep now." Martha fixed the blanket for the Doctor and his eyes closed once more. He didn't protest that he didn't need as much sleep as humans as he let the darkness overtake him and once more he was running to find his friend.


	19. Chapter 19

Once the Doctor was asleep again, Martha pulled the blankets up over his bruised chest, adding another to ensure he was warm. The TARDIS felt cooler than normal and while she may have lowered her temperature to make the Doctor comfortable, Martha didn't want him getting cold. With his bruised kidney's and internal injuries, his body would not be able to handle an illness. Once she was sure the Doctor was comfortable, she turned to Jack.

"It is your turn to sleep Jack. I know you want to stay by his side, but Hannah should be here any minute to help me take care of the Doctor. So you have your option, you can sleep on the bed next to him like I did last night or go up to the room we made for you," Martha told Jack.

"I'm fine here," Jack answered her.

"You're exhausted. I can see it in your eyes and I know you didn't sleep last night. Even with Hannah here I need you to help watch over him at night and you can't do that if you are falling asleep. Nor will you be able to help me with the surgery on his arm. So again take your pick where do you want to sleep?" Martha asked him.

"I'll go upstairs," Jack informed her as he stood. Martha was right he was exhausted. Normally when he died, he slept that night to renew his energy. With the Doctor being injured though, he had stayed awake all night taking care of him causing his energy to remain low. If he didn't sleep soon he was going to collapse. Kissing Martha on the top of the head, he went up to the unfamiliar bedroom he found while looking for Mickey.

Closing the door behind him, he unbuttoned the top button of his shirt as he sat down on the end of the bed. Placing his head in his hands he sighed. While he was exhausted, it had been so long since he was sober for more than a couple of hours that he didn't know if he could sleep without alcohol. He had to try though. Standing up once more, he undressed down to his boxers, before climbing into the bed. He pulled the blankets up to his neck as he curled up onto his side. Closing his eyes, he tried to clear his mind in order to drift off to sleep. Just before the comfort of sleep took over, his last thought was of Ianto and upon waking again Jack knew it would be the same.

-DW-

"Sorry, I'm late. They had trouble getting the paper work through," Hannah apologized as Mickey showed her into the medi-bay. Mickey didn't mention they were also late because Hannah didn't believe him that she would be working on the TARDIS. She thought it was just a phone box and Mickey was teasing her. Once he convinced her that she really would be working on it, she had been shocked by the inside being bigger than the outside. Unlike the Doctor, Mickey found less amusement at watching her run in and out of the TARDIS and comparing the size difference. He just stood leaning against the rail as he waited for her to follow him to the medi-bay.

"That's fine. I'm just happy you are here now," Martha told her as she came over to them. "He is asleep at the moment but once he wakes up I am going to introduce you. In the mean time let me show you around the medi-bay and where you will be working."

"This place is amazing. I still can't believe it is all in that tiny box," Hannah commented as she followed Martha. Mickey took a seat next to the Doctor while Martha explained Hannah's duties to her. Hannah was a quick learner so Martha gave her just a basic outline. Not only was she going to be helping look after the Doctor was she was with Torchwood, she was also going to be expected to help treat others who needed it. Martha reassured her that normally they were slow, so it would also give her time to study for her doctorate if she wanted to. Finally, she took her over to the Doctor. The Doctor was waking up again even though he didn't bother to open his eyes yet.

Don't be worried if he is a little weary of you at first because he is injured. Also, if he is rude, he is just being normal," Martha teased the Doctor.

"Oi," the Doctor groaned as he listened to her. "I'm not rude."

"Yes, you are," Mickey informed him. He opened his eyes a crack in order to glare at Mickey before looking to see who Martha was talking to. A young woman with light brown hair and pale skin was standing next to her. The woman was taller than Martha as well as slightly heavy. The Doctor tried to remember if he had met her before, but his head hurt too much to concentrate.

"Doctor, I would like you to meet Hannah. She has come down from UNIT to help me look after you while you heal," Martha explained to him.

"Can she make tea?" The Doctor wondered as he looked at and then dismissed her. Hannah glanced at Martha who nodded.

"Part of your duties as his nurse will be making tea. He normally drinks a lot of tea but right now he is receiving only a limited amount of liquid due to his kidneys," Martha told her. The Doctor made a face at her.

"I can make a cuppa," Hannah reassured the Doctor. Mickey stood to show her where the kitchen was while Martha moved closer to the Doctor's bed.

"Be nice," She chastised him softly. The Doctor looked at her, making sure to meet her eyes.

"Then I'm not being normal," He informed her crankily. Martha let it go knowing he didn't feel good. He lowered his eyes as he turned his head to look for Jack.

"I sent him upstairs to rest, he will be back in a few hours," Martha told him before he had a chance to ask where Jack had gone. The Doctor nodded at her explanation as he relaxed into the pillows once more.

"He needs me," The Doctor said. Martha smiled brushing his hair back from his forehead.

"I know," She replied.


	20. Chapter 20

The Doctor woke up twice during the time that Jack was gone. Both times he ignored Hannah as he immediately turned to look for him. Hannah wasn't offended by the Time Lord's behavior. She had dealt with worse patients during her time as a nurse at UNIT so she took his attitude towards her in stride. Each time he woke up, she made him a fresh cup of tea. She spoke to him as she fixed his blankets and checked his vitals. The first time Martha was with her but the second time it was just the two of them alone in the medi-bay.

"Where's Jack?" The Doctor wondered as he looked around the medi-bay.

"He is upstairs sleeping," Hannah told him calmly. The Doctor glanced at her.

"Don't lie to me. Jack doesn't need that much sleep. You are just keeping him from me," The Doctor snapped at her as he threw the blankets back. He started to sit up wincing as he did. Hannah placed a gentle hand on his shoulder to try to keep him in bed.

"You need to stay in bed," Hannah insisted. The Doctor glared at her with all the strength of the Oncoming Storm. Hannah took a step back seeing the fury in his eyes, but her hand remained in place.

"Let go of me," He snipped at her.

"Martha please get in here," Hannah called out. Martha came in from where she was working in the lab. She took one look at the Doctor trying to get out of bed and tutted loudly at him.

"Not only do you have a broken arm that is only braced, you have internal injuries, an IV, and a catheter as well. I don't think getting out of bed is the best option at the moment do you?" Martha asked him seriously. The Doctor sighed.

"No," he reluctantly agreed. He laid back on the bed and Martha nodded that Hannah could remove her hand from his shoulder. Hannah took another step back as she did, giving Martha room to move closer to the bed. Martha pulled the blankets up, tucking him in.

"Do you want to tell me what that was about?" Martha asked.

"Where's Jack?" The Doctor wondered.

"Jack is still upstairs sleeping." The Doctor opened is mouth, but Martha kept talking before he could say anything. "I know it seems like a long time and you know that Jack only sleeps for a long time if he really needs it."

"I want him here," The Doctor half whined.

"He accused me of keeping Jack away," Hannah spoke up. Martha looked at him curiously.

"Is that what you think we are doing?" Martha questioned him. He nodded at her. "I can assure you we're not Doctor. Jack is sleeping because he needs the rest. If you want I will go upstairs and check on him for you."

"Please," The Doctor agreed. Martha smoothed his hair back as the Doctor's eyes closed. He forced them open again right away.

"Why don't you close your eyes and try to rest while I am gone?" Martha suggested. The Doctor glared at her.

"Not until I see Jack," He argued, leaving Martha no choice but to bring Jack back down with her. She could have sedated the Time Lord. She needed him to trust her though and sedating him against his wishes would just cause problems. Reassuring him she would be back shortly she left him with Hannah as she went up the stairs to Jack's room. Knocking on the door, she received no answer.

"Jack, it's me," Martha called out. When Jack still didn't answer, Martha tried the door handle, finding Jack had left it unlocked. Going inside she found that he was still sound asleep dreaming peacefully. Martha hated to wake him. Going to his side, she bent down so that she was eye level. "Jack." She said softly.

"Hmmm," Jack answered almost immediately as one eye opened a crack.

"I'm sorry to wake you, but we have an unhappy Time Lord down in the medi-bay who refuses to go back to sleep until he sees you. He insists that you need him," Martha told Jack.

"I do," Jack replied as he sat up. Yawning as he stretched, he got out of bed, stumbling to the loo. He didn't bother to close the door forcing Martha to look away. It wasn't as if she hadn't seen him naked before, but being that she was pregnant with Mickey's child she didn't think it was entirely appropriate. Once he finished they went back down to the TARDIS. The Doctor was still awake when they entered and his eyes lit up upon seeing Jack.

"You're back," He told Jack happily.

"Yes, I am. What is this nonsense about you not sleeping until I get back here," Jack wondered as he took his seat next to the Doctor's once more. The Doctor reached out his hand for Jack and Jack took it in his.

"You need me," The Doctor informed him as he squeezed Jack's hand.

"I do, but I need you to get better first. So stop being silly and close your eyes," Jack insisted.

"Will you still be here when I wake?" The Doctor pouted. Jack leaned up, kissing him on the head. He expected the Doctor to protest. The Doctor didn't seem to mind though.

"I'm not going anywhere," Jack promised him. The Doctor finally closed his eyes and Jack sat quietly as the Doctor drifted off to sleep. He waited until the Doctor's hand went limp in his before tucking it beneath the blankets. Once he was positive the Doctor was sound asleep, he stood heading to the medi-bay door.

"I thought you weren't leaving?" Hannah questioned as he passed her.

"If he thinks I am going to sit by his side without coffee and something to eat he is in for a surprise," Jack told her. He glanced at the sleeping Doctor for a moment, watching his bruised chest gently rise and fall. "I will be right back." Hurrying, so that he would keep his promise to be by the Doctor's side, Jack went in search of food.


	21. Chapter 21

"Why are you mad at me Jack," The Doctor asked next time he woke up. Jack was sitting by his bed, drinking a cup of coffee. He hadn't noticed that the Doctor was awake yet and was staring at him with a glare on his face. He tried to wipe it away as the Doctor spoke, but it was too late. The damage had already been done. The Doctor wondered if Jack was angry that he had to sit down in the medi-bay with him. Though the Doctor knew that Jack needed him, he would have understood if Jack didn't want to sit by his side all the time. All Jack had to do was tell him. The Doctor sighed. He didn't want Jack to go, he needed Jack as much as Jack needed him.

"It's not your fault Doctor," Jack answered not denying that he was angry with him.

"Then tell me what I did," The Doctor told Jack reaching out for his hand. Jack took it squeezing it tightly in his.

"You didn't save them," Jack answered finally. The Doctor looked at him with confusion. "I know you can't save everybody, but when I needed you to save them you weren't there. I lost my brother, my lover and my grandson and you weren't there." Jack pulled his hand away as he snipped at the Doctor. The Doctor held his hand up to keep Hannah from coming over as Jack yelled at him. While Hannah may not have understood why Jack was angry the Doctor did. He didn't know how he knew, but he could see a young Jack standing on a beach looking frantically for a brother that he would never find.

"You let go of his hand," The Doctor whispered. Jack's eyes went wide.

"I never told you what happened. How did you know that?" Jack wondered. Jack knew the Doctor was a touch Telepath, the Doctor had never kept that a secret from him. Jack though had been trained by the Time Agency to protect his mind. He had hidden the memory of losing his brother behind a wall so thick that he would have felt the Doctor trying to access the memory. Still the Doctor knew.

"I don't know," The Doctor answered.

"Don't lie to me. How did you know I let go of his hand?" Jack yelled. This time Hannah did come over, despite the Doctor trying to keep her from doing so.

"Jack you have to calm down or I am going to ask you to leave," Hannah informed him. Both Jack and the Doctor glared at her as she spoke. Even if Jack was angry with him the Doctor trusted Jack to never actually hurt him. If Hannah couldn't understand that, then Martha was going to have to bring in a new nurse to help her. The Doctor wasn't going to stand for Jack being sent away every time they had an argument. He reached his hand out for Jack and Jack took his hand holding it lightly in his own.

"Can I please have a cup of tea?" The Doctor asked her, dismissing her at the same time. Hannah opened her mouth to argue and the Doctor spoke again before she could. "I think Jack also needs more coffee."

"Please," Jack told her handing her his cup. Hannah looked from Jack to the Doctor before taking the cup from Jack. She turned heading not to the kitchen but to the lab where Martha was working. They both watched her go.

"I don't know," The Doctor told him again, as he turned to look at Jack once more as soon as Hannah was out of the room. He stared Jack straight in the eyes waiting for Jack to yell at him again. Jack stared back. He could tell the Doctor was telling him the truth and he really didn't know. Jack ran his thumb across the Doctor's knuckles as he thought about how the Doctor could know.

"Good you're still awake," Martha commented happily as she came into the room. In her hands, she had two cups and she handed one of them to Jack and set the Doctor's tea on the table beside his bed. She didn't comment on the fact that Hannah had come to her worried that Jack was going to hurt the Doctor. Neither one of them seemed to be angry as Jack sat silently by the Doctor's bed holding his hand. Martha had come in expecting to break up an argument but instead, she checked the Doctor's vitals as she spoke to him. "I am planning on performing your surgery in three days time as long as the swelling goes down in your arm. I need you to rest as much as possible during that time and get your strength up."

"Nothing much to do but rest," The Doctor informed her making a face.

"I know you don't like being stuck in bed. Once your arm is properly cast and your internal injuries have healed some, we will see about getting you out of bed. You won't be able to travel on your TARDIS still, so we can look at getting you set up with a place to sleep in the hub," Martha told him.

"He can share my bed," Jack spoke up.

"Already trying to get in my trousers," The Doctor teased. He gasped as Martha gently palpated his abdomen. It was still very tender and only Jack holding his hand stopped him from trying to slap her hand away.

"Sorry," Martha apologized as she noted where the pain was for his charts.

"I never stopped trying," Jack said, teasing the Doctor back as he tried to distract him. He wasn't able to long as Martha made Jack turn away so that she could clean the Doctor's catheter. When Jack turned back around the Doctor was clearly unhappy with her. Martha gave him his tea, helping him to take a few drinks as he tried to calm back down. The hot liquid settled heavy in his stomach causing him to gag. He nearly cried as it came back up, causing him to cough and sputter into a bucket.

"You're alright," Martha reassured him. She waited until he was done getting sick to inject an antiemetic into his IV. Even with it, his stomach felt sour and he rejected a cool glass of water to rinse out his mouth with. Feeling sorry for himself, he laid back against the pillows, holding Jack's hand tightly as he tried to go back to sleep.


	22. Chapter 22

He couldn't sleep. As tired as he was and as much as he wanted to give into the comfort that sleep would give him, he couldn't do it. His back ached from lying on it, and he wanted to turn on to his side. His stomach hurt too much to think of moving and he wasn't sure how secure his broken arm actually was. He was sure that Martha would not leave his arm able to flop around, but he didn't know if the brace would support any movement he tried. His throat burned from being sick, yet a drink of water was the last thing that he wanted. He held on tightly to Jack's hand, just trying to take whatever comfort he could from holding it. It didn't matter Jack was angry with him, he didn't want Jack to leave him.

"Jack," He whispered after a while.

"Yes, Doctor?" Jack wondered.

"Tell me about your lover?" The Doctor said. His voice was so hoarse that Jack barely understood him. Jack picked up the cup of water off of the table and tried to offer the Doctor a drink. The Doctor didn't even open his eyes as he turned his head away from the straw.

"Take a drink Doctor. It doesn't have to be a large one, but at least get your mouth and throat wet," Jack told him. The Doctor opened his eyes enough to see the straw and took a small sip. His stomach wanted to reject the fluid. He closed his eyes again as he fought not to be sick despite the anti-emetic. Jack brushed his hair back off of his forehead, running his hand gently to stroke the hair behind his ear.

"What happened to Ianto?" The Doctor wondered again, trying to distract himself. In his mind, he could clearly see Jack holding the young Welshman as he struggled to breathe.

"I don't want to talk about him," Jack told the Doctor softly. The Doctor yawned. Jack kept up his gentle movements hoping to lull the Doctor to sleep. As much as he wanted the Doctor to wake up, he now hoped that the Doctor would go back to sleep so that he didn't have to think of the ones he lost. Even if they were always on his mind.

"What about your grandson?" The Doctor questioned. The Doctor tried to picture what happened to the boy. Try as he might though, he didn't have a memory of what happened to him.

"His and Ianto deaths are tied together," Jack replied. He looked around the medi-bay for anything that he could read to the Doctor and distract him from his line of questioning. "How about I go and get a book from the library and read that to you instead?"

"I want to know what I didn't stop. I'm sorry I couldn't save them," The Doctor whispered, more asleep than awake. Jack kissed him softly on the forehead feeling guilty about the Doctor's apology. The Doctor didn't deserve to add three more people to his conscious when it was he who failed to save them. Blaming the Doctor was easy, but he had failed to hold onto Gray's hand. He had allowed Ianto to enter the building with him and then made the choice to use Steven.

"It's my fault," Jack's voice cracked as he admitted it to the Doctor. Saying the words out loud caused tears to fill his eyes and he wiped them away with the back of his hand. The Doctor squeezed his hand tighter and Jack laid his head down on the Doctor's knuckles.

"I had a granddaughter named Susan. I couldn't save her either," The Doctor admitted to Jack. He opened his eyes lazily to look at Jack as he spoke. He always had figured the Doctor had a family that was lost when the rest of his people were killed. To hear the Doctor had a granddaughter he couldn't save, made it that much easier for Jack to understand him. The fact the Doctor was even telling him about his granddaughter meant that he wanted Jack to know he understood Jack's loss.

"His name was Steven," Jack told the Doctor. He sighed as he looked up at the Doctor. "It is a long story of what happened to Ianto and Steven."

"Tell me," The Doctor said quietly. Jack stared at him for a moment before opening his mouth.

"It all began back in 1965. Torchwood at the time secretly negotiated with an alien race they called the 456," Jack began. The Doctor's brow furrowed in confusion.

"I've never heard of them," he interrupted Jack.

"I'm sorry Doc, I don't know what the species is really called. Earth only knows them by the name 456. They picked it from the radio wavelength the species used to communicate with us," Jack explained. The Doctor nodded his understanding as his eyes drifted closed again. "They wanted children and so help me we gave them twelve orphans. In exchange, they gave us an antidote to the Spanish influenza. We told them they were to take the children and never return to earth."

"They returned though. When they came back they demanded more children. We found out at the time that they used the children as a drug to make themselves high. I told them they weren't taking any more children this time. They remembered me though because I was the one who gave them the children last time," Jack explained. He didn't tell the Doctor how he was killed or how he had become a fugitive on the run from the government. That was a story for another time, right now he focused on why Ianto and Steven were gone because of him.

"Jack," The Doctor sighed, showing he was still listening.

"I thought I was doing the right thing at the time. Twelve orphans to save millions. I realized how wrong I was and Ianto and I stood up to them. They released a poison into the air that killed everyone in the building. They knew somehow I would live and told me when I woke that I would bring them the children they wanted. They gave the government twenty-four hours to decide and the government was going to give them the children. I couldn't do it again though." Jack paused as he picked up the Doctor's water and took a drink.

"How did you stop them?" The Doctor asked.

"They used a signal to control the children and make them repeat things in unison. I used Steven to turn the signal back on them and killed them. Steven collapsed from it and was put on life support. I left earth when I heard they were planning on turning it off as he showed to signs of life," Jack sobbed. He wiped the tears away again but they kept coming. The Doctor though was thinking about Jack's words. Jack never saw Steven die, so it was still possible that he was alive. He wasn't going to tell Jack that he might be able to help Steven, but as soon as he could, he was going to try.

"I'm sorry Jack." The Doctor gripped Jack's hand tightly, wishing he could comfort him more. It took Jack a while to calm down and when he finally did, he went to find Martha. Despite the Doctor insisting he didn't need her, it was obvious he was into much discomfort to sleep. The Doctor was thankful though as Martha injected a mild sedative into his IV. With one last kiss on his head from Jack, he gratefully drifted off to sleep.


	23. Chapter 23

The Doctor didn't sleep long as the sedative was only enough to help him go to sleep but not enough to keep him under. He awoke again due to the pain and nausea in his body. He moaned, holding Jack's hand tightly as he just wanted it to stop. He couldn't remember ever being in so much pain for so long without regenerating. He didn't want to regenerate though. A tear slid down his cheek as he squeezed his eyes tightly shut.

"Breathe Doctor," Martha cooed slightly. The Doctor turned his head towards her voice. He didn't realize that Martha was there as he tried to block out the pain.

"Martha," He whined.

"I know, but I need you to tell me where the pain is coming from," Martha told him. He moaned as another tear slid down his cheek.

"Can't you just give him something?" Jack asked on the Doctor's behalf. He didn't like seeing the Doctor suffer when there was medication that would help him nearby.

"I will but I need to make sure it is nothing serious first," Martha advised Jack.

"Stomach," The Doctor finally groaned. He opened his eyes a crack to look at Martha as the blanket covering him was pulled down.

"I am going to gently palpate your abdomen to see if I can feel anything," Martha informed him. He shook his head no, but Martha didn't listen to him as she carefully felt along his abdomen. Nothing was significantly worse than before and though he cried out when she checked above his kidneys, there was no new pain. Martha topped up his painkillers, raising the dose slightly before having the TARDIS run a CT scan and an MRI on him. The results came back showing there was no new bruising. The only reason Martha could come up with for the spike in pain was that he was more awake to feel it.

"The scans are showing that you are healing Doctor and there is no new reason for you to be in pain," Martha explained to him. He rolled his eyes at her as that didn't tell him anything. Martha saw the look and realized that while he was awake to feel the pain more, he was also awake enough that she was going to have to explain his injuries to him. "I know you are sore Doctor, I don't know why, but we can go over your injuries if you would like."

"Please. I know my arm is broken and you said I had internal injuries. I can also see the bruising on my abdomen," The Doctor advised her. Martha nodded her agreement.

"Let's start at your head at work down. You have sutures holding a gash together above your right eye. It isn't low enough to affect your eyesight, but you are going to have a nice scar about your eyebrow. It is healing well and I don't see it being an issue. You also had a concussion when you first arrived. That should be almost completely cleared up though," Martha informed him. The Doctor thought about it a second. His head did seem less fuzzy than before.

"My arm?" The Doctor wondered as he looked at the brace.

"Both the radius and ulna were broken clean through and slightly twisted. In order to set them properly I am going to have to put screws and metal plates in your arm. For now the brace is holding it in a good alignment and the TARDIS has advised that the brace will be enough as long as you don't try to get out of bed," Martha told him sternly. She heard Jack chuckle and glanced over at him. She didn't ask before their discussion began if the Doctor wanted Jack there for it. The way the Doctor was still holding on to Jack's hand she didn't think it was an issue though as the Doctor wasn't going to let Jack go anywhere.

"Is Hannah going to help with the surgery?" The Doctor questioned.

"She is. Jack is also going to help as well as Mickey if I can drag him back into the operating room," Martha answered.

"Mickey is going to operate on me?" The Doctor squeaked.

"He helped with your last surgery. When you arrived here you had internal bleeding that we dealt with immediately. Your kidneys are both bruised and the main reason for your continued pain as well as the incision from your surgery. The TARDIS scans show that you are healing and the pain should get better," Martha told him. He didn't feel like he was healing as his body ached still even with the painkillers. It wasn't unbearable so he didn't ask for a higher dosage. He was surprised though by the extent of his injuries. They sounded as though he had been in a fight and lost. The problem was he couldn't remember that fight.

"See Doc, you're going to be running around like a loon again in no time," Jack reassured him. The Doctor nodded his agreement. He was going to have at least two surgeries on his arm. One to set it and the other to remove the screws and metal plates. During that time, he would have trouble driving the TARDIS one handed, but he wouldn't be that restricted. At least he hoped not. He frowned as he looked at his arm. He healed faster than a human but that still mean at least a month in the cast followed by a few weeks of physio and that was only if he healed properly.

"Maybe," The Doctor answered after a moment.

"Oi, there is no reason to get down," Martha scolded him softly. She rubbed his shoulder gently as she spoke. "There is no reason for you not to be running around like a loon soon. Your legs weren't injured and as soon as you can get out of bed, you don't have to stay in the medi-bay. You can sleep in your room here or Jack has offered his room for you to stay in."

"See Doc. It's going to be alright," Jack informed him. The Doctor sighed as he lay against the pillows. He knew they were right but he wasn't feeling good and just wanted to be on his feet again. He also wanted to be held, but he didn't see that happening either. He closed his eyes as he tried to go back to sleep. He opened them again as he felt the bed shift. Looking up he saw Jack sitting on the edge of the bed. Jack leaned down carefully taking him in his arms. The Doctor gripped Jack back with his good arm as he tried to hold him back. Neither one said anything as they took comfort in each other's embrace nor did they notice when Martha slipped out of the room.


	24. Chapter 24

The Doctor fell asleep in Jack's arms. Jack made sure that he was laying comfortably again, before taking a seat beside the Doctor. While he would have liked to lay, holding the Doctor against him, until his arm was set and his kidney's healed it wouldn't be possible. Instead, he had to accept the short hugs that he could receive and Jack wouldn't hesitate to hold his hand as long as he needed to. Jack was still angry, but his anger was no longer at the Doctor he realized. There was no point in blaming the Time Lord for events he couldn't change. He ran his hands down his face as he pulled out his cell phone. Almost automatically, he scrolled to Alice's name in his contacts. He hesitated before he hit dial, just like every time he tried to call her before. Unlike the Doctor, he was to blame for his grandson's death. He couldn't change the fact that he made the choice to use his grandson to stop the 456 and save thousands of children.

Jack ran his hand down his face. He had dwelled on the pain he caused for too long now. It was time to pull himself together again. Though no one had mentioned it, he could feel the beard of more than a few days framing his face. He needed to shave and have a haircut. Standing he tucked the Doctor's arm into his blankets and pulled them up to his chest. The Doctor sighed in his sleep as Jack kissed him softly on the head. He looked around the medi-bay but saw nobody else nearby. Even if the TARDIS could keep an eye on the Doctor, he wasn't about to leave him alone. Walking to where the lab he knocked softly on the door before going inside. Hannah and Martha were sitting discussing the Doctor's upcoming surgery.

"Yes, Jack?" Martha wondered as he poked his head in.

"He is asleep again. I am going to head out for a little while, but I will be back soon," Jack told her. Martha reached into her pocket and pulled out a key chain. Taking one of them off she handed it to Jack.

"We tend to lock up around five. If you aren't back before that you will need this to get in," Martha explained. Jack snickered at her.

"You think I need a key to get into a building?" He asked slightly amused.

"No, I assume you could break in. I would advise against it though as Mickey has been working on the security software and restoring an old program that Tosh had been working on," Martha informed him. Jack stared at her with his mouth slightly agape for a moment.

"Tosh's programs still exist?" He questioned. He only vaguely remembered the explosion that destroyed Torchwood as the bomb was in his stomach at the time. He was positive though that everything that was associated to the old Torchwood three had been destroyed. Martha nodded though.

"Everything from Torchwood one, three and four was backed up and saved in Torchwood 2's databases. Even though it has been officially disbanded, Archie has still been maintaining the records. We almost didn't find the files as they were encrypted and buried under layers of data." Jack shook his head.

"How did you even find out there was a Torchwood in Glasgow?" Jack wondered almost in disbelief.

"Gwen contacted us when we started to rebuild on the rift. She was the one who gave us access to the records for building the rift manipulator and helped us to access and add to Torchwood's data. She also contacted Archie to get us on the Torchwood payroll. Officially you are still in charge of Torchwood three and she is your second in command. Mickey and I are just maintaining it until you are ready to take over again," Martha explained. Jack rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to process what she was telling him. He had never officially stepped down, even when he took off. He had just assumed that with everyone associated with Torchwood three being dead or having quit, that it was over. He didn't know whether or not he was relieved that he had been wrong.

"I can't even think about taking over again right now," Jack told her.

"You don't have to. Mickey and I have been running Torchwood for a few months now and we aren't going anywhere. Let's focus on getting the Doctor back on his feet first and then we will discuss if you want to stay on here or head out again," Martha replied. Jack nodded. "You might want to head out now or it is going to be late before you get back."

"Do you need me to pick up anything?" Jack wondered.

"No. We will need to go grocery shopping soon, but we should be fine for now," Martha informed him.

"I will be back soon," Jack answered, leaving the door to the lab opened as he headed out. He checked one last time that the Doctor was still sleeping soundly, before he left the hub. The day was warm and he took a deep breath enjoying the feel of the sun on his face. He walked the familiar streets to a barber shop that he had gone to for years. He didn't recognize the man inside, but that didn't matter because looking in the mirror, he didn't recognize himself either. A shave, shampoo and haircut later, he felt more like his old self again. Paying he left. He didn't want to head back to the hub right away and instead wandered absent-mindedly. It didn't matter where he looked as he could still see Ianto, Tosh and Owen on almost every street corner. He saw Rose, laughing with him and his first Doctor as they made their way down the street.

Jack paused, leaning against the building. Cardiff had been his home for many years. He loved this city despite the pain he felt in being back. He wasn't ready yet to settle back down here yet. He would take Martha's advice though and stay long enough to get the Doctor back on his feet. Then once the Doctor inevitably broke his heart, he would decide. Until then he would just take it day by day. Starting forward again, he stopped off at the store, buying a few things for the hub. He also bought the Doctor items to make a banana milkshake, hoping that he coax him to drink it. Carrying everything back to the hub, he unlocked the door, letting himself in. The building was bright and welcoming against the darkening sky outside.

"You didn't have to pick up groceries," Mickey told him as he came out of his office.

"I wanted to," Jack replied. "Have you seen the Doctor?"

"He was awake not too long ago and asking about you again. Thankfully this time he doesn't think we are keeping you away from him," Mickey responded. "I will put this away if you want to go see him." Jack quickly handed the bags off to Mickey, practically running as he made his way back to the TARDIS. He forced himself to slow down as he entered the medi-bay. The Doctor was awake staring at the door as he entered.

"You shaved," The Doctor told him as he came in.

"I did. Do you like it?" Jack flirted. The Doctor smiled reaching up to caress his cheek as he sat down. Jack's heart pounded from that gentle touch. Taking the Doctor's hand in his, he kissed his knuckles. The Doctor didn't pull away as he stared at him with trusting eyes. The kind of eyes that would make Jack follow him anywhere, even if he knew it would only end in heartbreak.


	25. Chapter 25

The Doctor lay quietly trying to figure out what happened to him. The not being able to remember was the worse part about waking up injured on the TARDIS. He had been fine and then laying in the TARDIS with a broken arm and bruises, yet he didn't know why. He forced his mind to concentrate on what he knew. He had been on Callas. Callas was known for it's flowers that had almost see-through leaves with dark red, blue or even black colored tops. How they were grown, was a secret known only to the people on that planet and by the end of the 43rd century the flowers were being shipped all over the universe. People paid good money to have one of the unique flowers brought to their homes, just to say that they had owned one.

The people of Callas were known for their hospitality. To even think that one of them could be responsible for his injuries was ludicrous. There had to be another explanation. He closed his eyes as he concentrated harder. He remembered walking with one of the men, discussing the upcoming flower festival. They held it every year to encourage offworlders to come and visit. The Doctor wasn't planning on staying for the festival, but he was trying to buy one of the flowers. There was a special flower they grew that was called a Mourning flower.

"Jack," The Doctor spoke up.

"Yes Doc," Jack wondered as he jumped slightly. He thought the Doctor was asleep and had just settled down with Mickey's laptop to look through Torchwood's records.

"Can you see if there is a pure white flower on the desk in my room?" The Doctor questioned. Jack didn't ask why as he sat the laptop down and left the medi-bay. He had only been in the Doctor's room a few times in the past, but never for this one. Opening the door, he was relieved to see that the room looked almost the same, except for the blankets on the bed had changed. On the desk was the pure white flower the Doctor mentioned and Jack picked it up. Holding it, he couldn't resist reaching out to touch the delicate petals. The flower felt like silk yet looked as though it were made of glass. Jack took the flower back to the Doctor.

"Did you remember something?" Jack wondered. The Doctor shook his head no.

"I was on Callas and then here," He whispered. He took the flower from Jack, spinning it slowly in his hand by the stem. He didn't remember buying the flower or placing it on his desk. Yet somehow he knew it would be there. That meant that the memories were there he just had to concentrate. As he stared at the flower, he saw fire dance across his eyes. People were running around screaming as the ground around them exploded. He had seen the same thing in his dreams many times over the years. He had even dreamed of the last day of the Time War in the last few days. Except, he realized, the people screaming weren't Time Lords but the citizens of Callas.

"The people of Callas didn't do hurt you," Jack told him. He had never been to Callas himself, but he had met people from the planet. They were always generous and kind to everyone.

"They were attacked," The Doctor informed Jack.

"By who?" Jack questioned. The Doctor shook his head.

"I don't know. I don't even remember buying this flower," The Doctor told him as he tried to place the flower on the bedside table. Jack took it from him and set it down carefully. He then took the Doctor's hand in his own.

"Give it time Doc, it will come back to you," Jack tried to reassure him.

"Maybe," The Doctor replied. He didn't look at Jack again as he stared at the flower, just trying to remember what happened. Jack eventually picked up his laptop again and soon the Doctor was distracted by the steady clicking of keys as Jack typed. He reached up squeezing the bridge of his nose with his fingers. "Jack sit with me?"

"I am," Jack responded.

"No, up here on the bed," The Doctor whispered. He patted the bed with his good arm. Jack stared at him doubtfully for a moment.

"I don't want to hurt you," Jack informed him as he didn't move.

"You won't. Please, Jack, sit with me," The Doctor practically begged. Jack couldn't tell him no again. Kicking his shoes off he climbed up on the bed with the Doctor. Laying on his side, he propped himself up with one arm and held the Doctor across his chest with the other. He kissed the Doctor on the side of the head. The Doctor turned his head so that he caught Jack's lips with his own. Jack hesitated in his surprise but didn't pull back. Kissing the Doctor soft and slow, he listened to the little sighs the Doctor made.

"Sleep now," Jack told him breaking the kiss. The Doctor closed his eyes and soon was asleep. Jack planned on getting up again as soon as the Doctor was asleep but found himself wanting the contact just as much. He lay holding the Doctor for several hours just listening to him breathe. Finally, he pulled himself out of the bed and picked up the laptop once more. Opening it, he tried to concentrate on the screen, but all he could think about was that the Doctor had kissed him. He could still feel the soft cool lips against his own and rather than feeling satisfied it left him wanting more. He wanted to feel the Doctor's body move with his own in the TARDIS blue blankets of his bed. It was the first time Jack had truly thought of having a relationship again since Ianto's death. The thought made him a little sad as he remembered staring into the eyes of his dying lover.

"Even if a thousand years pass," Jack reminded himself. In his heart he knew he would never forget the Welshman who had changed his life. He would always remember even if he opened his heart again to the Time Lord who stole it from the start.

-DW-

Martha ran through the Doctor's vitals one last time before heading to bed for the night. The Doctor was going nil by mouth in preparation for his surgery tomorrow at midnight, but Martha didn't see it being a problem. Even though Jack had bought the items to make the Doctor banana milkshakes the day before the Doctor only had a small cup of the sickeningly sweet concoction. In fact in the last few days he only drank a few mouth fulls of tea, a couple of sips of water and the milkshake. While he was receiving nutrition from the IV, Martha didn't want him to be dependent on it. She was hoping that after this surgery, he would start to feel better and be able to get up and out of bed.

His vitals did not make her feel any better about the surgery. While he was strong enough to undergo it and the swelling in his arm had gone down. His vitals were still off enough that she was worried about how his body would take being sedated again. All the planning that she was doing didn't make her feel any more comfortable about tomorrow. She had even called in an anesthesiologist from UNIT to assist so that Mickey didn't have to be in the room and she could focus purely on the Doctor's arm. She took a deep breath to calm herself down. She could do this. She had operated on his abdomen to stop an internal bleed with less planning or information than she had now. She could set his arm.

"I'm not in the mood," She told Mickey as she crawled into bed. Mickey pulled his hands back to his side, turning so that he could look at her.

"He's going to be fine," Mickey tried to reassure her.

"You don't know that. I have to put screws through the bones in his arms while he is under sedation. Anything could go wrong while he is under," Martha informed Mickey. Mickey shook his head.

"You can do this though. You have operated and saved people in worse conditions. This time you will have a team of doctors to help you as well as the TARDIS," Mickey replied calmly. Martha moved over snuggling into his arms. Mickey was right. During the year that never was, she saved several people on that desolate earth. This was different. The Doctor was her friend and there was a reason that doctors didn't operate or tend to their friends and family.

"You're right," Martha whispered. She tilted her head back to kiss Mickey and this time when he slid his hand down to her panties, she let him.


	26. Chapter 26

Much to Jack's relief the Doctor slept most of the night. He only woke up once to stare at Jack for a little while with sad eyes until Jack climbed up on the bed with him. He then drifted back to sleep without ever asking for a drink. Jack lay with him, hoping that after the surgery the Doctor would begin to get better. He was out of the bed though by the time Martha came in with Hannah and a man Jack didn't recognize with her.

"Jack this is Kurtis, he is going to be assisting with sedation for the Doctor. I have already briefed him over the phone, but I am going to show them where the operation is going to take place. After while they clean up, I will come and get the Doctor," Martha informed Jack. Jack shook Kurtis's hand and nodded towards Hannah. The three of them disappeared into the small operating room just off the medi-bay. They were in there about a half an hour before Martha came back out. She reviewed the Doctor's vitals on the monitor, then gently rubbed the Doctor's shoulder to wake him up.

"It's time to wake up now Doctor," Martha cooed as he moaned at her.

"Is the surgery over?" The Doctor wondered, not bothering to open his eyes. Martha laughed.

"We are going to take you in there in just a moment. I would like you to wake up first so that we can discuss what is going to happen before we begin," Martha informed him.

"You're going to put metal in my arm," The Doctor answered her cheekily.

"Are you going to open your eyes or are you going to keep being difficult?" Martha questioned him.

"Depends," He responded as he opened one eye at her. "Are you going to keep questioning me or are you going to let me sleep?" This time it was Jack who laughed as Martha stared at him.

"Go to sleep," She sighed finally. He closed his eye again, smacking his lips as he did. Jack leaned over to him.

"Don't I get a good night kiss?" He asked the Doctor softly. The Doctor opened both eyes this time. He glanced warily at Martha. Jack leaned closer and the Doctor gave him a soft kiss on the lips. Jack brushed his hair back from his forehead as he kissed him again. "I'll be right here when you wake up," He promised. The Doctor smiled and after one last kiss, he closed his eyes once more. Martha's eyes were wide with happiness as she watched their interaction.

"I am going to add a sedative to your IV Doctor. It will help you go back to sleep and then we will sedate you properly once you are in the operating room," Martha informed him once she found her voice again. The Doctor didn't answer her. Not that Martha really expected one. Going over to the medical cabinet, she grabbed a sedative from it and returned to the Doctor, injecting it into the IV. Jack held the Doctor's hand as he drifted back to sleep. Once he was out though, he yelped as he was smacked several times by Martha.

"What was that for?" He pretended to pout.

"You and the Doctor?" She asked him shocked he hadn't told her. Jack smiled as he stood up.

"It is still new. I didn't want to say anything until I was sure where our relationship is heading. We will see how he feels when he is able to get out of bed and travel again," Jack told her. He unlocked the breaks from the Doctor's bed, taking the head of it to help Martha wheel him in the operating room. Once there, they transferred him carefully onto the table, then placed his bed outside the room. Jack scrubbed up, getting into a clean operating gown as Hannah shaved the Doctor's arm to prepare for the surgery. Once everyone was set, they took their places. Martha and Kurtis ventilated the Doctor as a precaution before Kurtis started the anesthesia. After they were sure the Doctor was properly out, they began to work on his arm.

Martha took her time, making sure that the plates were in place and the alignment was good. She had helped several times at UNIT placing screws and metal plates, but this was her first time leading the operation so she tripled checked that she was doing everything right. The Doctor remained stable throughout the surgery and by the time they wheeled him back out, he had a cast stretching from his hand all the way up his arm to almost his shoulder. His elbow was bent making it impossible for him to move his lower arm. He wasn't going to be able about the cast, but the x-rays confirmed he was now in a good alignment to heal. The ventilation tube was replaced with an oxygen mask, which Martha didn't expect would last long once the Doctor was awake. They carefully moved him back to his bed and placed the bed in its spot.

"I am going to give him the antidote for the anesthesia now. When he wakes up I want him to take a drink regardless of whether or not he wants one," Martha informed Jack. Jack nodded his understanding. He made sure that the Doctor had water by his bed as well as a small bucket in case the Doctor was sick. He still had painkillers in his system so Martha hoped the pain was minimal when he woke up. She injected the antidote and the two of them waited for the Doctor to start to wake up. When he did it was with a slight moan. Martha allowed Jack to be the one to help him wake fully as he responded better to Jack than her.

"Come on sweetheart, it's time to open those eyes," Jack whispered as he caressed the Doctor's cheek gently. The Doctor moaned again, his eyes flickering open for a second before closing immediately again. He tried again, this time managing to open them further. Just as Martha suspected, as his eyes opened his good hand went straight to his face to remove the mask.

"Let me help you," Martha told him, taking the mask for him as he almost poked himself in the eye trying to pull it off his face. She turned the oxygen off and set the mask beside his bed. "There now, how are you feeling?"

"Thirsty," The Doctor replied, his voice hoarse from the tube and oxygen. Jack picked up the cup of water, placing the straw by the Doctor's lips. He took a small drink, just getting his mouth and throat wet. He then released the straw.

"You can have more," Jack told him. The Doctor sighed taking another small sip to make Jack happy before turning his head away. He went to close his eyes again and Martha stopped him by rubbing his shoulder.

"Stay awake a minute so we can talk," She said. He rolled his eyes as he looked at her. She tutted. "I saw that."

"Good," He responded. His tone indicating that he was already cranky with her.

"Your arm is cast right now with a heavy long cast. Here in a few days we will look at replacing the cast with a lighter one. If you keep being cheeky with me, I will make sure it is pink," Martha informed him. He narrowed his eyes at her.

"I will get Jack to replace the cast then," He snipped. His words were slightly slurred so it was hard to take him seriously. Martha wondered if he would even remember this conversation later as his eyes were still dilated from the medications they gave him.

"Oi somebody's in a bad mood," Jack teased him.

"She started it," The Doctor grumbled. His eyes closed and then opened slowly again.

"Go to sleep. We will talk more when you wake again," Martha told him. The Doctor listened as he closed his eyes once more. He hadn't complained of pain in his arm so either it wasn't painful enough for him to care or the painkillers blocked all the pain. When he was a little more coherent Martha planned on asking him. For now she would let him sleep. Checking his vitals over, she made sure that he was stable. Satisfied that he was doing better. She passed his care off to Jack for a moment so she could tell Mickey that the Doctor was out of surgery and recovering. The Doctor still had a long road to being fully recovered, but at least he was on the right track.


	27. Chapter 27

It was just over a half an hour before the Doctor woke up again. He reached up rubbing his face as he opened his eyes. He blinked a few times as his eyes tried to adjust to the light in the medi-bay. The TARDIS dimmed the lights for him above his bed, but the Doctor had already decided it wasn't worth the effort of keeping his eyes open and let them close again. Jack chuckled as he watched the Doctor. The Doctor heard him laughing and turned his head towards him.

"What?" The Doctor asked as he forced his eyes open again. He furrowed his brow in confusion as he tried to figure out why Jack was laughing at him.

"Nothing. How are you feeling?" Jack wondered. The Doctor squinted his eyes as he thought.

"My arm feels funny," The Doctor told him trying to lift his left arm. He looked at it as he reached out to feel the cast with his right hand and Jack caught it.

"You just had surgery on your arm. Remember?" The Doctor nodded before shaking his head. He stared at Jack then nodded again. "You broke your arm so Martha put two metal plates in your arm to hold it in place until it heals," Jack reminded him.

"Right," The Doctor drew out the word as he looked at the cast. Jack chuckled again. The Doctor was obviously still out of it due to the medication he was receiving. Jack had to admit though that he liked this dopey Doctor better than the cranky one who first woke up. He even smiled as Martha came back into medi-bay after she was done telling Mickey how the surgery went and cleaning up. "She fixed my arm," he told Jack.

"He's high," Jack informed Martha.

"I don't do drugs," The Doctor argued.

"No, but we did give you strong medication for the surgery. They have to be making you feel pretty nice at the moment," Martha told him.

"Yeah," The Doctor agreed. Martha picked up the cup of water, offering him a small drink. He took a drink, swallowing it without worry of getting sick or his abdomen hurting. Martha moved the straw away, not letting him drink too much too quickly. He didn't seem to care as he smacked his lips happily.

"How is your arm feeling?" Martha wondered. He tried to lift it again, giving up before he got it very far off the bed.

"Heavy," He complained at her.

"Does it hurt?" Martha questioned.

"No, just heavy," He replied. He reached out to poke it again. This time Jack let him run his fingers along the white plaster. Before they could stop him, the Doctor's fingers lifted to his mouth and he licked them. He made a face sticking his tongue out several times. "Yuck."

"Then don't do that," Martha sighed. Martha ran through his vitals the best she could as the Doctor wasn't in a very cooperative mood. He was more interested in turning his head from side to side to avoid her being able to exam him. Eventually, Martha gave up and placed a hand on his arm, rubbing it gently. "You need to rest more and the next time you wake we will see about something to eat. How does that sound?"

"No food," The Doctor whined.

"Not even a nice banana," Jack tried to tempt the Doctor. The Doctor thought about it for a moment. He held up one finger and pushed his hand towards Jack.

"One banana," He told Jack seriously.

"Do you want that banana now?" Martha wondered hoping to coax him into eating before he remembered he didn't want to again. The Doctor had already made up his mind that he was going to sleep first. His eyes drifted closed and his breathing evened out as he didn't answer her question. Martha fixed his blanket for him as she sighed. "Hopefully he will still want that banana when he wakes up again."

"I doubt it. I will try to get him to eat it anyways or maybe we can try a small bowl of soup. If he can keep something down, maybe he won't be so worried that it is going to hurt when he does eat," Jack replied. He stood up stretching. "I am going to go make him a banana pudding. It will be nice and soft for him to eat."

"That does sound like a good idea. If he eats it, then tomorrow we can try to get him to eat something hardier," Martha agreed with Jack. Jack left the TARDIS going to the small kitchen in the hub. Looking through the cupboards he found that Martha only had a vanilla pudding mix. Jack made the pudding and to it he added fresh bananas cut into small pieces. He took a small taste. It was sweet and he could taste the bananas clearly. He just hoped the Doctor would like it. He took the pudding back to the TARDIS with him and put it in the TARDIS fridge. He then returned to the Doctor's side.

After about an hour, when the Doctor showed no signs of waking, Jack pulled out his laptop. Over the last two days he had been researching all of the artifacts that had come through the rift recently. It was easy to see from his research that the rift activity hadn't slowed down. How Martha and Mickey thought they would be able to manage on their own was beyond Jack. They needed a team of at least three more people, especially with Martha going to give birth in the next few months. Still the two of them had accomplished a lot since building on the rift and Jack actually found himself planning out how to help them. He chastised himself softly for getting involved even if he couldn't help it. He had worked for Torchwood for a long time now. Running it came easily to him and at one time he enjoyed the work.

"Jack?" The Doctor moaned, not sounding as happy as the last time he woke up.

"Yes sweetheart?" Jack wondered as he closed the laptop. He stood up, brushing the hair off the Doctor's forehead before dropping a kiss on it.

"You promised me a banana," The Doctor advised him.

"I did, didn't I. I will be right back," Jack told him. Hurrying out of the medi-bay, he retrieved the Doctor's pudding, scooping some into a small bowl. By the time he returned to the Doctor's side, both the Doctor's eyes were open. Jack set the bowl of pudding down and handed the Doctor a spoon. The Doctor looked at the pudding, slightly disappointed it wasn't a banana. Still he took a spoonful of the pudding, shakily bringing it to his mouth.

"It's nice," The Doctor informed him, taking another small bite. He ate another few bites, before pushing the bowl aside. Jack saw that he had eaten less than half of the small amount. Jack didn't care as he was just happy the Doctor had eaten. He gave the Doctor a small drink of water, then held his hand as he drifted back to sleep.


	28. Chapter 28

It was on the third time that the Doctor woke up that he showed the most improvement. He moaned, rolling onto his side for the first time since he had arrived at the hub. Jack moved a pillow to help support the Doctor's arm as he curled on his side. The Doctor opened his eyes to look up at Jack.

"Get in bed with me?" The Doctor asked. Jack didn't think twice about it as he toed his shoes off. He climbed into the bed, behind the Time Lord holding him gently against his chest.

"How are you feeling?" Jack wondered as he ran his hand up and down the Doctor's side.

"I don't know," The Doctor replied. Jack kissed him on the back of the head as the Doctor tried to curl further into himself. He gave up after a moment and stretched out, leaning back against Jack. "Sore."

"Do you need more painkillers?" Jack wondered. The Doctor shook his head no. "Do you want a hot cuppa?"

"I don't want you to get out of bed," The Doctor whined. Jack chuckled, holding the Doctor a little tighter. The Doctor sighed, happy to snuggle into Jack for a moment. His arm felt heavy and while his stomach was sour it wasn't painful. He remembered eating a few bites of pudding the last time he was awake, but he didn't feel like he was going to get sick. That made him happy as he really didn't want to get sick. He really didn't want to do much at the moment besides lay with Jack and maybe have a hot cuppa. He wasn't willing to relinquish Jack's warmth for the cuppa though so he would wait until Martha or Hannah offered him one.

"We can lay here for a little while," Jack reassured him. He kissed the back of the Doctor's head again and then took a deep breath, breathing in the unique scent of the Time Lord. He let it out slowly. "I am thinking of taking over Torchwood again."

"I thought you were going to travel with me," The Doctor replied. He couldn't remember if he actually asked Jack to travel with him again. Then again he didn't ask Jack to travel with him the first time either. He had just saved Jack's life after he sacrificed himself to save them. After the Valiant, he had asked Jack and Jack declined. He understood though, at least he told himself he did. Now he didn't want to think about Jack telling him no. He could come to Torchwood and help every once in awhile, but he would miss Jack.

"I can travel with you and run Torchwood if I decide to stay," Jack told him. "I haven't decided yet if I even want to stay on Earth. I don't know if I am going to travel with you either Doc."

"I don't want you to go," The Doctor whispered. Jack held him a little tighter.

"I won't make my decision until I know that you are able to travel again. You don't need to worry about it right now," Jack tried to reassure him. The Doctor nodded. "In the meantime once you are feeling better you can help me sort through the artifacts that Mickey and Martha have collected. Mickey has done pretty well determining what the item's are but he has no idea where it is from. We can help them fix their vault and you can take some of the items you think are too dangerous to stay on Earth into the TARDIS. How does that sound?"

"Maybe," The Doctor replied softly. He turned his head so that he could look at Jack. "Are you still mad at me?"

"No," Jack told him truthfully. They both looked at the door as Martha cleared her throat, letting them know she was coming in. She had come into the medi-bay a few minutes prior and heard them talking softly. Not wanting to interrupt, she left to make the Doctor a cup of tea before coming back to them. The Doctor licked his lips at the site of the tea.

"Do you want to try sitting up?" Martha wondered, seeing that he was supporting himself on his side.

"Not now," The Doctor yawned. He accepted help from Martha to take a drink of tea, draining half of the cup. Both Martha and Jack were relieved that he drank so much without argument. While he laid on his side, Martha checked his eyes, ears and carefully made sure that the position of the cast wasn't hurting his arm or putting too much pressure on his injured stomach. She the palpated his abdomen with gentle fingers. He moaned as she did. It wasn't as painful as the last time, but he didn't like it.

"You're doing much better. Tomorrow we may even see about getting you to sit up. Then in a few days we can look at helping you out of bed," Martha informed the Doctor. She had no doubt that it was the medication in his IV that was helping with the majority of the pain and general soreness. She had plans to start reducing his painkillers the day after next until they found the correct level. She wasn't even going to try at the moment as his arm would be extremely painful after the surgery.

"I could get out of bed now," The Doctor informed her. He went to move the blanket, but Martha stopped him.

"I am sure you could, I would like you to wait a few days. Let's see how you do sitting up before you think about getting out of bed. Now do you want to try to eat more pudding or do you want to go back to sleep?" Martha wondered. The Doctor gave her a look.

"I don't want to eat or sleep. I just want to lay here with Jack," The Doctor told her, the irritation in his voice coming through clearly. Martha didn't comment on the fact that the Doctor's eyes were drifting closed for longer periods as they spoke.

"I will be in the next room if you need me," Martha informed them. She helped Jack to help tuck the blankets up around the Doctor's chest and then headed back to her lab. Shortly after she left the room, a soft snore came up from the Doctor. Jack snuggled into him as he kissed the Doctor's neck.

"Sleep well sweetheart," He whispered. He waited until he was sure the Doctor was deeply asleep, then extracted himself from the Doctor's bed. The Doctor may not have been hungry, but he was. Wondering whether or not he should be happy that his own appetite was back, he went in search of food.


	29. Chapter 29

The next morning the Doctor woke up feeling hungry. Martha didn't let him eat until she had ran through his vitals making sure that the anesthesia had cleared his system. She then checked his capillary refill. His fingers quickly turned pink again indicating that the cast wasn't too tight. She felt positive that the Doctor would be up and out of the medi-bay in the next few days as he continued to recover. Unfortunately, the Doctor didn't seem to share her enthusiasm.

"Let's get you sitting up so that you can have a proper breakfast with your cup of tea," Martha told him. She reached for the bed controls. The Doctor continued to lay on his side, gripping Jack's hand.

"I don't want to sit up," The Doctor whined. He vaguely remembered telling Martha that he could stand yesterday. He really hoped that she didn't try to make him as he was sure it was the medications in his system clouding his mind that made him think he could. Even the simple act of sitting up seemed daunting at the moment and he was worried that it would make his stomach feel worse.

"I will be right here with you Doc," Jack reminded him.

"I am not going to bring your bed up to a full sitting position quickly. We are going to take it in stages and if you feel any pain at all or feel dizzy we can stop. Your internal injuries are healing well though and I have plans to take the sutures out in the next few days. If you want I will even give you the bed controls and allow you to raise the bed until you feel comfortable," Martha offered. The Doctor shook his head no. He sighed as he rolled onto his back, tensing against the pillows.

"Just relax into the bed and let it do the work," Martha told him. Jack rubbed his arm with his free hand. He tried to relax, but as soon as the bed began to rise he tensed up once more.

"No, no, no. It hurts," He cried out. Jack made gentle shushing noises as Martha paused, not lowering the bed back down.

"Just breathe. It will pass," Martha reassured him. The Doctor tried, taking a gasping breath as he remained tense.

"Sweetheart you need to try to relax. If you can sit up properly, later I can give you a massage. You have to relax first," Jack cooed. The Doctor arched his back, squeezing his eyes tightly closed.

"Please Jack," The Doctor begged, holding his hand so tightly that Jack's fingers were turning a dark purple from lack of circulation. He didn't dare let go of the Doctor's hand though.

"Doctor open your eyes and look at me," Jack whispered. The Doctor forced his eyes open a crack, turning his head to look at Jack. His eyes were full of pain and panic. Jack kissed the hand that was in his own. "I know you are afraid that it is going to hurt, but you also know that I would never hurt you or allow anyone else to. So please sweetheart just try to relax."

"Alright," the Doctor agreed softly. He took as deep of a breath as he could, followed by another. His breathing slowed down and his body relaxed into the bed. He closed his eyes, nodding that Martha could continue. She slowly raised the bed higher until he was reclined at a slight angle. He didn't complain once as he held onto Jack tightly, his eyes shut once more.

"Is anything hurting more?" Martha wondered as she held onto the bed control.

"My back," The Doctor replied.

"Do you want to go back down?" Martha questioned. He shook his head no. "In that case do you want to try a cup of tea and a nice bowl of soup?"

"Tea and banana," He argued as he dared to open one eye. Martha stared at him a moment.

"Tea, banana and a nice bowl of soup?" She suggested. He really didn't want the soup but she was going to keep pushing him to have it. He could just let her bring it to him and then just not eat it. Well that was rude, he scolded himself. It was rude of her to bring him the soup when he didn't want it, he decided. Then he should just tell her not to bring it.

"I won't eat it," He finally said after a moment. Martha sighed.

"I will get you a banana and tea now. If you are still hungry after, I think you should try to eat something more substantial then a banana," She informed him. He smirked and she sighed again. Who was she kidding? During their travels together she had caught him eating only bananas on more than one occasion. To the Doctor there was nothing wrong with eating one banana or in his case three or four for a meal. And even if there was no other food in the kitchen of the TARDIS she could always guarantee there would be bananas and tea. She left him alone with Jack for a moment to retrieve his tea. Once gone Jack stood up, kissing him on the head.

"I'm proud of you," Jack told him. The Doctor rolled his eyes.

"All I did was sit up," The Doctor scoffed.

"And in the next few days you will get out of bed. Then I will get you into my bed and into your trousers," Jack teased. He expected the Doctor to blush or to tell him to behave, so he was shocked when the Doctor nodded. He was still staring opened mouthed at the Doctor when he felt a soft kiss on his hand. He snapped his mouth closed.

"I'm tired of being alone Jack." The Doctor spoke up as Jack continued to stare at him. "You need me and if I'm honest with myself I need you."

"I'm going to hold you to that," Jack told him finally finding his voice.

"I expect you to," The Doctor replied cheekily. Jack kissed him on the lips again. They were still kissing passionately, when Martha cleared her throat behind them.

"You might want to let him up for air so that he can drink his tea and eat," Martha stated. Jack stopped exploring the Doctor's mouth with his. Leaning back he sat down in his chair, breathing heavily. Martha didn't comment on it any further she would have a talk with Jack later about not pushing the Doctor too soon. He was still healing and she didn't want to risk his stitches. Not that she expected the Doctor would engage in sexual activity. Moving closer to the bed she set the Doctor's tea and banana down on the table beside his bed. She got a second table from nearby, placing it over his lap. She then moved his food to the table. He opened the banana taking a small bite. As he ate Jack ducked out of the room returning with the bowl of soup. The Doctor made a face at him.

"This is for me," Jack informed him, sitting down to eat. He took several bites before offering the Doctor one. The Doctor kept his mouth closed. Jack shrugged, returning to his meal. The Doctor knew what he was doing and he wasn't going to be tricked into eating it. He finished his banana then closed his eyes ignoring Jack. He didn't feel like sleeping at the moment, but he wasn't going to let them win. Even if the soup did look good.


	30. Chapter 30

By the time, Jack had finished his bowl of soup the Doctor was snoring softly. He would be appalled to find out that he did snore and Jack was sure he would have some sort of story about how as a Time Lord he was above such things as snoring. Jack chuckled to himself as he fixed the Doctor's blanket, pulling it up to his shoulders. He thought about lowering the bed back down but decided against it as he didn't want to accidentally disturb the Time Lord. He brushed the Doctor's hair back from his forehead, dropping a kiss on it. As he did he found himself yawning. He was considering climbing in bed with him when Martha appeared again.

"Jack can I have a word with you?" She asked. Jack turned to look at her with a sigh. As he did, Hannah entered the room. She began to effectively change out the Doctor's IV bag and top up his medications without disturbing him. Jack left her to it as he went out with Martha. Hannah would be leaving tomorrow if the Doctor continued to do well as once he was out of bed she would no longer be needed. In the meantime, he was well enough that Jack could sit with him and Martha was no longer worried he was going to hurt the Doctor physically. Emotionally was another matter altogether.

"Yes, Martha?" Jack wondered as he came over to her. Martha motioned for him to follow her. He did so questioningly. She took him only a short distance to the TARDIS kitchen. She let Jack go in first and then followed him. "Am I in trouble? If you want to spank me you better do it quick or Mickey might get jealous."

"You're not in trouble. I want to discuss your and the Doctor's relationship," Martha told him as she tried and failed not to grin at his comment. She sat down at the table, waiting for him to sit across from her before continuing.

"Our relationship is our business," Jack informed her.

"Normally I would agree with you. I can't forget the fact that you originally showed up here planning on killing him. Regardless of whether or not you could have actually done it, isn't the issue. The issue is, I am concerned about the fact that you want to sleep with him so quickly. The Doctor is not a sexual man and while you may be, I don't want him to end up hurt or trying to run away because he was pushed to far to fast," Martha stated. Jack leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table.

"He told me he was going to hold me to my promise of getting in his trousers," Jack told her. He sighed as he placed his head in his hands. "I could never actually hurt him. No matter how mad he makes me but I have wanted a relationship with him since the first moment I laid eyes on him. Did I ever tell you how we met? He switched my laser gun for a banana and then told me not to drop the banana because bananas were good. I never dreamed at that point that I would have the opportunity to share his bed, even if I wanted to."

"Rose?" Martha questioned and Jack nodded.

"When she was around, he had eyes for no one else. I thought he finally had a chance to be happy when she returned to him," Jack admitted. "I thought we both did."

"That is why you both need to be careful. I know that you are still hurting over the death of Ianto. Are you sure you are ready to move on?" Martha asked him seriously. Jack raised his head to look at her.

"I don't know, but I have to try. If I don't I am going to spend the rest of eternity wondering what would have happened. I don't want to regret the time I could have spent with the Doctor, long after he is gone," Jack told her.

"Just promise me that you will be careful and if you need to talk, day or night, I will be here for you," Martha reminded him. She stood up going around the table. Jack carefully wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close. With him sitting, she had the rare opportunity to stroke his hair back as they hugged. She did so gently as he held onto her. He broke the hug, long after what was appropriate, but she didn't seem to mind.

"I am going to go lay down with him for awhile. The next time he wakes I will see about getting him to eat something besides a banana. I was thinking if he didn't want soup, maybe we could try curry instead," Jack said as he moved towards the kitchen doorway.

"Just make sure it isn't spicy. His stomach is still healing from the surgery," Martha reminded Jack. He nodded. "Also I want the stitches out of his stomach and him to be able to heal for a few more days after that before you do try to engage in any sexual activity."

"Alright," Jack sighed. He pouted at her, but Martha stood her ground on it. She wasn't going to give them the go ahead before she felt the Doctor was ready. If she did, the Doctor could end up hurt then they would both feel guilty. Instead, making Jack wait would give them more time to talk and for the Doctor to be sure about what he wanted.

Jack left the kitchen, heading straight back to the Doctor's side. This time he didn't hesitate as he kicked off his shoes and climbed straight up into the Doctor's bed. Reaching over the Doctor, he laid the bed back a little to make them both more comfortable. Pulling the blankets up he placed his head on the Doctor's chest, listening to his hearts beat. The Doctor's good arm came up, pulling Jack a little closer to him. Jack curled as close as he dared to the Doctor, just letting the Doctor comfort him for a while. Soon though he found his eyes closing as the Doctor's hearts lulled him to sleep.


	31. Chapter 31

The Doctor had been having a nice morning cuddling with Jack. Even though he hadn't wanted to sit up, he had to admit it was easier to eat. It also didn't put too much pressure on his stomach that it caused new pain. Still he was going to be happy once his kidneys were healed and the stitches removed. Then only the bruises had to finish healing on his pale skin. He frowned as he looked down at the bandage on his abdomen and wondered how long he would have the scar for. Thinking of the scar on his stomach reminded him that he would have one on his forehead as well. He moved his hand to the bandage, pressing lightly on it to try to figure out how big the cut was.

"Ow," he hissed as he pressed on a particularly sore spot.

"Then don't do that," Jack chuckled as he reached up and pulled the Doctor's hand back down. The Doctor turned his head to look at Jack.

"I wanted to know how big the cut on my head is," The Doctor informed him. Jack nodded his understanding. Vanity he understood very well especially once he found his first gray hair. He had always relied on his looks to get him through the universe and out of trouble. With a gray hair, he couldn't help but wonder how long it would be until he started to get wrinkles. He shuddered at the thought and the Doctor's eyes narrowed in confusion. "Is it that bad?" He worried as he reached up to feel the cut once more.

"No, it is not bad," Jack promised him, grabbing onto his hand before the Doctor could poke the cut.

"Then what was the shudder for?" The Doctor panicked. He tried to pull his hand away desperate to find explore his forehead and find out how big the cut was. Jack held onto his hand easily, fustrating him even more. He thought briefly of hitting Jack with his cast and wondered how much it would hurt.

"I was thinking about getting wrinkles. I will get you a mirror so you can look at the cut if you promise not to poke yourself," Jack told him.

"Okay," The Doctor agreed immediately. Jack let go of his hand getting off the bed. He waited impatiently while Jack left the medi-bay coming back a short time later with a little hand mirror. The Doctor took it holding it up so that he could examine his forehead. He resisted the urge to poke the bandage that covered up part of his forehead. "Jack," He whined.

"Calm down," Jack cooed. He carefully pulled the bandage back while the Doctor held the mirror up so he could see. The cut was a little longer than the tip of his finger and slightly curved. It almost looked as if it had been caused by a ring, but there was no bruise except around the edges. The Doctor counted that there were seven stitches total holding it closed. He breathed a sigh of relief that Jack was right and it wasn't that bad. Jack took the mirror from him before replacing the bandage. The cut would barely show once it was healed and in a few months it would be a thin white line. If he managed to go long enough without regenerating, it would one day be completely gone.

"Oh good you're awake," Martha called out as she came into the room. In her hands she had a metal walking frame.

"I'm not using that," The Doctor informed her as he glared at the walker.

"In order to get out of bed, you are going to have to use it. You have been laying down for over a week now and your body is healing. I don't expect you to have to use the walker for long, but you are going to be using it today to support yourself," Martha told him as she set up the walker by his bed.

"I can use Jack," The Doctor argued.

"Jack will also be here to support you. He is going to be behind you though to catch you if you fall. You will need to take your own weight with the frame," Martha insisted. The Doctor looked closer at the frame. There was a groove in it along with straps for his cast arm. "We aren't going far today, just around the medi-bay. I am going to leave your IV in and clip off the catheter for now. Tomorrow we can see about removing the catheter altogether, but you will have the IV until you can go to the oral pain killers."

"Do I still have to stay in the medi-bay?" The Doctor wondered. He was looking forward to being able to sleep in Jack's room with him.

"For tonight. Even if you still need the IV after tomorrow, I have an IV stand that you can move with you." The Doctor frowned as he pictured himself dragging an IV around with him. He wondered how high his dosage of painkillers was at. He knew it was higher due to the surgery but he should be close to the oral dose. "Now do you want Jack to step out while I take care of the catheter and help you get trousers on?"

"He can stay," The Doctor told her. Martha moved the blanket back and Jack tried not to focus on the Doctor's member as Martha clipped the catheter line closed. Jack grabbed a pair of trousers and helped the Doctor pull them on being careful not to tug on the catheter line.

"Okay, now Doctor I want you to carefully move your legs around so that you are sitting on the edge of the bed." The Doctor followed her instructions. When he finally made it to his feet it was a lot harder then he thought it would be and he actually found himself grateful for the walker. He moved slowly to the door of the medi-bay. Jack was right behind him the entire time and Martha was at his side, holding the IV stand. He turned around heading back to his bed. He barely made it before he found himself collapsing back on to it. Jack helped ease him the rest of the way so that he didn't end up on the floor.

"That was harder than I thought it would be," He admitted as Martha rehooked up the catheter.

"It will get easier as the days go on. Now I suggest you let Jack help you take a sponge bath then have a nice massage before going back to sleep," Martha told him.

"I'm not tired," The Doctor yawned. Martha shook her head, leaving the two of them alone in the medi-bay. Jack tenderly helped the Doctor bather, but he had barely started his massage before he was sound asleep. Kissing him softly on the head, Jack settled down to work on the artifacts.


End file.
